THE RUC came under attack from a number of Orangemen last night when they moved to end a standoff in the village of Dunloy, Co Antrim.
Some stones and bottles were hurled at police at about 9.30 p.m. when they moved about 100 Orangemen away from the village.
Earlier, a group of Orangemen who had left the main body of the marchers ink Dunloy blocked the main road from Ballymoney to Ballymena for several hours.
All crowds had dispersed and the entrances to the village were completely clear by 11 p.m.
The standoff began when the RUC prevented Orangemen from entering the village for their annual march after an agreement concluded with residents early on Saturday morning had broken down.
Under the agreement, one band and about 150 Orangemen would have marched to the Memorial Hall and then gone to the nearby church for a service by a back road, avoiding the main street.
The fact that an agreement had been reached was reported in newspapers on Saturday, but on Sunday the local lodge issued a statement saying the agreement was "in a shambles" and accusing the residents of misrepresenting the deal.
"We totally reject the statement made yesterday by Paddy O'Kane, of Dunloy Residents' and Parents' Association, when he said the accommodation was reached on the consent principle," said a spokesman, Mr John Finlay.
"This is in reality saying if they do not give consent we cannot walk. The lodge never accepted such a principle nor ever could."
Mr O'Kane told The Irish Times yesterday that the word consensus was never used. "We're sticking by our side and we're not breaking it," he said. "There will be noprotest".
The RUC placed a barricade of armoured cars at the level crossing about a mile from the village yesterday afternoon.
At about 6.30p.m. the Orangemen, led by an accordion band, arrived at the RUC cordon, where the local Presbyterian minister, the Rev Gilkingson, held a short service.
The service ended with the British national anthem and some of the marchers then departed, leaving a group of about 200, whose mood became angry.
They shouted insults at the RUC. "Take that crown down Flanagan, you should not be wearing it," said one. "We'll have every road blocked tonight and keep there in. Keep the Fenian scum in," said another. One raised a placard saying "No compromise, no consent, no surrender."
At 8 p.m. Mr O'Kane read a brief statement to the press. "The Dunloy residents and parents made an agreement which would have allowed them a limited period to hold their church service. It was broken by the Orange Order through the involvement of outside elements.
"We understand that the RUC took a decision to prevent the Orangemen from coming into our village. There was no violence here." He pointed out that the only violence that occurred was when the Orangemen threw stones: "We stood by our side of the agreement."