Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said the decision of the Parades Commission to force three Orange Order parades through areas where they are not welcome was the wrong decision.
Mr Adams said it had created a very difficult and dangerous situation in Belfast.
He said Sinn Féin would challenge the decisions on next week's Orange Order marches in the north and west of the city.
Orange marches through nationalist areas were designed to cause offence to nationalist residents, he added.
Mr Adams said that last year a similar decision in relation to the Ardoyne 12 July parade resulted directly in widespread public disorder, and it was only through the efforts of republicans on the ground that serious injuries were prevented.
He said the notion that republicans could simply deal with bad decisions by the Parades Commission time and again is not tenable.
Earlier, a priest in the Ardoyne area called on the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, to personally intervene in the dispute.
