Police in Belfast have appealed for calm ahead of a highly contentious Orange parade in the city this weekend.
The city has witnessed several nights of loyalist violence this week, with 250 police and military personnel having been assigned to the north Belfast area in a bid to quell the violence and prevent inter-communal clashes.
Police resources have been drawn from as far away as Newry while anti-drug operations have been scaled back due to the deployment of police personnel to interface areas.
Police chiefs said that a five-year-old boy detained while stoning police lines was among those apprehended during disturbances this week.
One senior officer said that in two decades of service he now noted the least level of community involvement in terms of quelling the disturbances.
Police also confirmed text messaging is being used to gather large crowds to specific areas to instigate violence against police.
The Ulster Volunteer Force has been blamed for co-ordinating the violence.
Tension remains high in the city ahead of the Whiterock Parade this Saturday amid fears that the UVF may use the rerouting of the parade as an excuse to instigate further violence.
