Three people were arrested after violence broke out at Drumcree today as Portadown Orangemen protested at being barred from marching down the nationalist Garvaghy Road in the town.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said 24 officers were injured, with nine being taken to hospital, when they came under sustained stoning. All but two were later released after treatment.
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Members of the Portadown Orange Lodge on parade
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A number of civilians were also injured, at least one when struck by one of three plastic bullets fired by the security forces in a bid to quell the trouble. The protester was surrounded by a crowd as he lay on the ground bleeding heaving from an arm wound, before being taken to hospital.
The trouble broke out at the end of the formal protest by the Orangemen when officers came under a hail of rocks, bottles and other missiles hurled over the security barrier erected on Drumcree Bridge to prevent the parade passing.
A PSNI spokesman said men had been "viciously attacked".
Crowds smashed and ripped up the barrier forcing police and troops in full riot gear to surge forward to hold the line while army engineers hastily brought back the huge steel and concrete barrier used in past years and which has been kept in reserve nearby.
Orangemen stood on Drumcree Hill watching and cheering on the rioters and some, their Orange sashes still around their necks, joined in.
The Orange Order had appealed for a peaceful dignified protest, but once the trouble broke out no serious attempt was made by protest organisers to call the troublemakers to heel.
Deputy district master of the Portadown Orange Lodge Mr David Burrows, described the trouble as "unfortunate". He said: "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."
The serious trouble broke out immediately after the formal protest proceedings and speech to the crowd by Mr Burrows.
But even before that, when the security barrier was opened for a few minutes to allow the Orangemen to present a letter of protest to the local police commander about the blocking of their traditional route, stones were hurled at the security forces.
Assistant Chief Constable Stephen White, who accepted the protest letter was spat upon as he did so.
PA