On Thursday, violence erupted in the outskirts of North Belfast following contentious marches past a nationalist area.
The first parade was by Orangemen returning from the annual Twelfth celebrations; the second was by a nationalist group opposed to the parade.
As trouble broke out, petrol bombs and bricks were thrown at police lines by both nationalists and loyalists leaving 20 PSNI officers injured. The PSNI fired six plastic bullets, used water cannon on the crowds, and made several arrests. Later, up to 10 shots were fired at the police in what a PSNI spokesman described as "attempted murder."
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable, Will Kerr, said the community needed to call a halt to the violence.
"I am angry that we have these three days of annual madness where it seems that everybody thinks the peacekeepers are a legitimate target," he said.
"We will be making a significant number of arrests, as we did last year, over the course of the next weeks and months to make sure that people
are placed before the courts and answer for their decisions."
There was also anger from nationalists after a loyalist band was filmed walking around in circles outside a Catholic church in Belfast playing anti-Catholic tunes.
The footage was loaded on to You Tube and made the news in Ireland after the individual filming the scene was attacked by the bandsmen.
Sinn Féin's Conor Maskey was in the area at the time and witnessed part of the incident.
"The Orange Order needs to explain to the St. Patrick's congregation why a loyalist band taking part in their parade played sectarian tunes and behaved provocatively outside St Patrick's church," Maskey said.
"The person filming was then attacked by a member of the band. It is time for the Orange Order to show leadership, step into the 21st century
and got rid of the organization's anti-Catholic sectarian ethos.
Until that happens, then clearly this bigoted side of the organization will continue to manifest itself in incidents like this."
