A controversial loyalist parade in Belfast passed off peacefully last night after bandsmen appeared to adhere to a Parades Commission determination.
All bands taking part in the annual Tour of the North parade appeared to comply with the ruling to only play a single drum beat along Donegall Street, including past the flashpoint at St Patrick's Catholic Church.
The parade passed off without incident. However, a spokesman for Belfast county Grand Orange Lodge claimed stones and bricks were thrown at an earlier feeder parade in Lancaster Street in the north of the city.
"The incident has subsequently been reported to police for investigation," he said.
Amid a heavy police presence, hundreds of Orangemen and their supporters marched from north Belfast into the city centre.
A planned residents' protest against the parade was called off on Thursday, however, some residents gathered at the top of Donegall Street as the march passed.
Bands taking part in the parade were banned from playing music on a stretch of road outside St Patrick's.
As the march made its way into Belfast, the bands all seemed to obey the Parades Commission ruling to only play a single drum beat from the Westlink along Donegall Street to the junction of Union Street.
A large sign on the side of a PSNI Land Rover warned participants they must stick to a single beat.
Once past the sign, most of the bands burst into loud song with several shouts from bandsmen of "let it rip".
A large group of supporters had gathered at the bottom of Donegall Street to watch the parade, with police keeping them away from the area close to the church.
There were loud cheers and bursts of applause from the crowds as the bands and Orangemen passed by.
DUP assembly member and former Social Development minister Nelson McCausland was among the Orangemen involved in last night's march.
A feeder parade had earlier made its way up Donegall Street where the band played music until it reached Union Street.
Band members then stopped at the junction and stood playing music for a few minutes before continuing up the street with just a single drum beat heard as they proceeded past St Patrick's Church.
In previous years, the parade has been the scene of serious breaches of commission determinations.
Sinn Féin assembly member Gerry Kelly last night said he welcomed that the "Tour of the North has passed off peacefully and that the Parades Commission determination was respected".
"I would like to thank the Carrickhill Residents for their mature attitude and their decision not to protest tonight," he said.
"I am convinced that the only way to resolve issues around parading is through genuine and inclusive dialogue with local communities."
