Orange Order leaders have insisted they will continue their support of the Drumcree demonstrations despite growing concern by unionist politicians and church leaders that the order has lost control of the protest.
With only 48 hours to go before the main Drumcree parade, senior Orange figures in Portadown and at Grand Lodge level were insisting they would maintain their stand until Portadown members were allowed march down the Garvaghy Road.
A large crowd of Orangemen and loyalists again gathered at Drumcree hill last night, and for several hours roads in the east, south and north of Belfast were closed by demonstrations.
In east Belfast, a number of cars were hijacked and set alight and used to block roads. In Westland Road in Belfast, police uncovered "a loyalist petrol bomb-making factory". For the first time in recent years the RUC called on the British army to assist it to try to maintain control on the city's streets.
The RUC said 43 people have been arrested since Saturday and 29 charged with public order offences. There were 109 attacks on the RUC and British army, with 32 police officers and one soldier injured. The police said 37 homes were attacked and 34 vehicles hijacked.
Last night's disruption did not reach the same level as previous nights, partly due to a decision by businesses to allow their staff home early. There was no late shopping, as is normal in Belfast on Thursdays.
Orangemen and loyalists were further angered yesterday by a Parades Commission decision to ban Orangemen from parading down the Lower Ormeau Road in Belfast on Sunday.
