A massive security operation was put in place in Portadown today ahead of tomorrow's annual Orange Order Drumcree parade.
Over 2,000 police officers and troops were on standby for the parade which has been banned from the nationalist Garvaghy Road in the Co Armagh town for the fifth year running.
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British army troops move large metal bars into the fields surrounding Drumcree Church
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However, there is growing hope the affair will be low key and peaceful, and that has been reflected in police plans for the day.
Army engineers moved in at lunchtime to set up a barrier - much less imposing than in previous years - across the bridge below Drumcree Church, where the local Orangemen hold their annual service, and at which point the parade will be stopped on orders of the Parades Commission.
Razor wire - again much less than last year - was strung across the fields beside the bridge to prevent any effort to outflank the barrier and soldiers, including paratroopers fanned out across the countryside.
Around the town police and army checkpoints sprung up and all motorists entering where stopped and checked.
Despite the huge security operation, the local Police Service chief, Assistant Chief Constable Stephen White is hopeful the heat has gone out of the protest and that the violence of recent years will not be repeated.
He said he wanted to mount "less warlike" security precautions. "I want it to be like a civic policing operation."
He said intelligence reports, and public comments from the paramilitaries, indicated that "they don't want to get involved, and I hope there will be no reason for them to."
What would happen tomorrow would be "a lawful organisation having a lawful protest about a lawful determination - there is no need for paramilitary involvement."
Northern Ireland First Minister Mr David Trimble has appealed for calm and no violence at the parade and afterwards.
Portadown Orange Order spokesman Mr David Jones refused today to comment on the security operation mounted at Drumcree.
"That's purely an operational matter for the police," he said. But he insisted that anyone wanting to cause trouble would not be helped by Orangemen to achieve their goal.
PA