A police officer in riot gear stands near a barrier erected to prevent an Orange Order parade passing close to the Ardoyne area of north Belfast. Photograph: Cathal Mcnaughton/Reuters


A protest against a year-long ban on a contentious Orange Order parade in north Belfast has united unionism like never before, a senior member of the loyalist marching institution has said.

The return leg of the parade by local Orangemen from Ligoneil passed off relatively peacefully, even though the loyalists remain banned from passing by the nearby republican Ardoyne district.

Unlike last year when dozens of police officers were injured in a barrage of missiles with water cannon and plastic bullets being fired to quell the riot, there was virtually no trouble at a barrier erected to prevent the Orangemen from marching up Woodvale Road and on to the Crumlin Road facing Ardoyne.

Instead, marshals from the Orange Order formed a cordon between local loyalists and bandsmen, and police lines preventing an outbreak of disorder.

There was a large security presence in the area with more than 40 Pangolin armoured police vehicles, two mobile water cannon and more than 1,000 officers deployed, many of them in protective body armour.

Addressing the crowds gathered on the loyalist side of the barrier, Spencer Beattie, the deputy grand master of the Orange Order for Belfast, said the cause of the Ligoneil Orangemen and the establishment of a "civil rights camp" in the area to highlight their demand to walk "had united unionism like never before".

Beattie repeated pleas from Orange leaders, mainstream unionist parties and the political organisations linked to loyalist paramilitaries that no loyalists should engage in any acts of violence in protest at the year-old ban on the parade.

Although the majority of loyalists dispersed from the Woodvale Road after the short speech, the Police Service of Northern Ireland maintained a large presence in the area. There was also a substantial police presence close to Ardoyne where about 100 republicans had gathered.

Tens of thousands of Orangemen, their bands and supporters took part in 17 demonstrations across Northern Ireland, on this the most sacred day in the Ulster Protestant calendar. The overwhelming number of the parades were non-contentious, with only a few opposed by nationalist residents because they pass by their areas.

Compared to 2013, this year's Twelfth of July celebrations were relatively peaceful across the region. The PSNI said six men had been arrested for offences including rioting and street disorder.

One man was stabbed in the early hours of Saturday after sectarian clashes on a bridge straddling the river Lagan in south Belfast. Up to 40 youths from rival Protestant and Catholic gangs clashed on the Ormeau Bridge at about 3am.

There were minor scuffles near Belfast city centre as another Orange Order feeder parade passed St Patrick's Catholic church in Donegall Street. A number of missiles were thrown from loyalist lines at police in nearby Union Street and mass goers in St Patrick's were caught outside the church as loyalist marching bands filed past.

The PSNI was investigating claims that a loyalist band broke a determination from the Parades Commission – the body that adjudicates on contentious parades in Northern Ireland – that barred music being played as the parade passed the church.

Sinn Féin welcomed the peaceful outcome to the banned parade on the Woodvale Road and called for talks to reach a long-term solution to the dispute.