Police and mob clash at Drumcree

Some elements of the crowd clashed with police

PORTADOWN, Northern Ireland -- At least 24 police officers have been injured after scores of youths broke through a steel barrier during the Orange Order parade at Drumcree in Northern Ireland.

Nine of the 24 officers injured were taken to hospital where two have been detained for further treatment.

Acting Chief Constable Colin Cramphorn has visited the injured police officers in hospital.

A Northern Ireland Police Service spokesman said he paid tribute to "their courage and resilience in the face of brutal assaults."

The spokesman said officers were injured during clashes at the annual march, which has been the focus in past years of violent disturbances between rival groups of residents.

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In a statement, the spokesman said three people had been arrested for "riotous behaviour following vicious attacks on the police." A number of civilians were also injured.

He said the attacks came after a group of protesters broke through barracades. Police fired three baton rounds.

He said police officers were "viciously attacked with stones, bottles and bricks as they tried to move the crowd back."

More than 2,000 police officers and troops were placed on standby for Sunday's parade, which was banned from the nationalist Garvaghy Road for the fifth year running.

There had been strong hopes this year that the event would pass off without trouble.

David Burrows, deputy district master of the Portadown Orange Lodge described the trouble as "unfortunate."

He told the Press Association: "We have called for peaceful protest all along and we will continue to do so.

Police use water jets to disperse the crowd

"We have marshals, but there is only so much marshals can do -- people don't want to listen to reasonable people, that is the difficulty we have."

British army engineers had earlier erected barriers across the bridge below Drumcree Church, where the local Orangemen hold their annual service, and at which point the parade was stopped on the orders of the Parades Commission.

Razor wire 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.

Speaking before the march, Assistant Chief Constable Stephen White said he was hopeful the violence of recent years would not be repeated.

Police try to maintain the barracade

He said he wanted to mount "less warlike" security precautions. "I want it to be like a civic policing operation."

He told PA: "It is unlikely there is going to be a lot of violence."

But afterwards he said he was "disappointed" by the violence and was shocked when he was spat on as he accepted a protest letter from members of the Orange Order.

He said: "I have worn uniform all my adult life trying to serve both sides of this community and to be spat upon and have my officers spat upon and have missiles thrown at us as we were trying to afford the dignity this institution asked us to afford them is very disturbing."

In past years Drumcree has been followed by weeks of street violence.