THE stench of smoke still lay over the Newtownards Road in east Belfast when it was visited by Dr Harry Allen, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, and a number of his local clergy early yesterday afternoon.
The hulks of burnt out cars and lorries had been moved into side streets, but evidence of the previous night's rioting was everywhere.
The wall of Ferguson's flower shop still bore UFF graffiti saying "Send Our Prisoners Home" but little else of the shop remained. It had been totally destroyed by fire during the rioting and partly burnt bunches of flowers lay among the charred wood and mangled rubber buckets on the pavement outside.
Next door, men were removing the stock from Russell Cellars, an off licence badly damaged by the fire. The bakery beside it was still open, but it, too, had suffered fire damage.
Dr Allen said that he was "very saddened" by what was happening. "I can't see any point in vandalism. It is counter productive to any cause. It must stop. If we are going to find a way forward it must stop. We are in danger of finding ourselves on the brink of anarchy."
He said that part of the solution had to be found in Drumcree and part in the Garvaghy Road. Asked if he saw a compromise in sight, he said. "Compromise is not a popular word in Northern Ireland. I would prefer to say accommodation. An accommodation was reached last year. I would hope it would enable the people of Drumcree and Garvaghy Road to do what they do so well all year live together."
He added that he hoped and prayed that a solution would be found before the deadline of the 12th.
Dr Allen's message of conciliation did not find a warm reception among loyalist residents of the Newtownards Road.
A middle aged woman in a butcher's shop said. They're putting us down into the ground."
"But all the trouble does not help," said Dr Allen.
"But who's causing it?" responded the woman. "The other side can do what they like and make their wee bombs and blow people up."
Dr Allen replied. "I was down yesterday in Drumcree and it was far quieter and calmer. The sad thing is that the people on both sides of the barbed wire fence have little against each other."
"It's only a 15 minute walk", replied the woman. "Why are they dictating to us? I would say block them in and walk on.
Despite the mood in the area, the local Methodist minister, the Rev Jim Rea, of the East Belfast Mission, was trenchant in his criticism of the rioters.
"What is the purpose of this?" he asked. "For years and years and years the Provisional IRA have bombed and hammered this community with the view of pulling the economy to pieces. And now hoodlums in this area are doing this very same thing.
"I say to those who are in positions of leadership it's simply like this here. There are consequences for all of these things on the ground. And the people who are suffering are ordinary citizens, old age pensioners living in small flats round the Newtownards Road, living in fear.
"I have talked to dozens of people in the area. They are absolutely appalled by it."
Asked if the trouble had not been caused by people living in the area, he conceded that some was, but added "There are lots of people who are travelling in. I saw loads of people last evening, men coming in from other parts of the city on to this road.
"We had a feel good factor on this road. Things were looking good on this road. People were trying to create facilities and provide jobs in this area. And what are we doing? We are destroying our own community.
"And let me ask this question to those people who are giving leadership who is getting hurt? say the ordinary, poor and marginalised people of east Belfast. They are the people who are getting hurt in this situation."