Security forces clashed with loyalists in the Corcrain area in Portadown early this morning, at the town's main bonfire site. Approximately 20 petrol bombs were thrown at police and at a nationalist estate across the peaceline.
In response, police fired a water canon and a number of baton rounds at protesters. They then cleared the area around the bonfire where an estimated 200 people had gathered. Earlier on the Corcrain road, fireworks had been fired across the peaceline, exploding over a nationalist area.
At that point, the security forces took no action. Nationalist residents from the Obin Street area in turn had thrown a number of objects towards the loyalist side.
Drumcree Hill, however, was relatively peaceful. Protesters, numbering less than 100, limited their activities to attempting to remove barbed wire fencing blocking their way.
A heavy security presence had been visible throughout the day, and at one point a green traffic jam built up as almost 30 jeeps, trucks and armoured cars trundled past the town centre.
The town was, if anything, busier than normal as shoppers bought extra groceries for the holiday period. Earlier a children's tea party had been cancelled after the RUC and British army searched the area. In an indication of the tensions below the surface, a community worker in the area, Mr James Mullen, said the security forces had simply been looking for "an excuse to come into the area. . . they have searched the area twice in the past week".
He said the search was a show of force to youths before the bonfire was lit.
The RUC commander in the area, Supt Bobby Hunniford, rejected this claim and said the search had led to the recovery of a petrol bomb and other items used in rioting.
A police spokeswoman said there had been much less tension than in recent years but "once people have a drink in them we just don't know what might happen".