Five people have been charged with disorderly behaviour after a night of disturbances in a nationalist area of Ballymena, Co Antrim.
Around 60 people threw stones and paint bombs at police in the Fisherwick Gardens area on Saturday night in what the RUC described as "major public disorder". The violence began at a republican bonfire in the predominantly nationalist Fisherwick estate in the town.
RUC officers came under attack with broken paving stones, fireworks and paint bombs after being called to a disturbance. They recovered seven petrol bombs from the area.
Later, the trouble spread to the nearby Dunclug Park, a mixed area, where police came under further attack. Ballymena's unionist mayor, Mr Thomas Nicholl, condemned the violence and blamed republicans.
"There's an element there who would be a republican-type element and certainly it would appear to me to be orchestrated by people who want to cause trouble, to bring it to that area," he said.
Mr Declan O'Loan, a local SDLP councillor, said most of the trouble was caused by outsiders. "Most of the residents were opposed to the bonfire happening and made that very clear," he said.
Meanwhile, a car was badly damaged in a petrol-bomb attack in Randalstown, Co Antrim. Two devices were thrown into a car parked in the Glenkeen area on Saturday night.