The annual Orange Order Whiterock parade in west Belfast on Saturday passed off relatively peacefully although the parade was disrupted for about an hour because of a number of suspected dissident republican hoax bombs.
While Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness recently warned republicans might no longer “stretch” themselves to ensure calm at contentious loyal order parades, nonetheless dozens of republican marshals helped keep order on the Springfield Road on Saturday afternoon.
There was also a heavy police presence for the parade.
More than 100 nationalist protesters who gathered on the Springfield Road were held back by republican marshals until the all-clear was given for the parade. A few youngsters, aged about 11 or 12 years, climbed the wall and taunted Orangemen with the Tricolours. One of the marshals climbed the wall to remonstrate with the boys.
A small number of plastic bottles and other missiles were thrown from the nationalist side at the parade.