On the peace line in west Belfast community relations are lively. Every night this week nationalists and loyalists have gathered on their respective sides amid a torrent of missiles and abuse.

"Fenian c---s", "Orange b-----s" ring out into the wee small hours. At times the insults are personal. The children have come to know each other's names.

Tensions are high in advance of today's Orange Order parade on the Springfield Road. Around 1,300 marchers will take part.

Loyalists say the parade has passed off peacefully for nearly 50 years.

Nationalists say the bands carry UDA and UVF flags and play sectarian songs. The Springfield Road is solidly nationalist but is home to a Protestant church and school.

The Shankill area lies behind a peace wall which runs along the road. The main point of access to the road for Protestants is the gate at Lanark Way which opened permanently after the ceasefires.

However, the rioting has led the RUC to close the gate several times this week following nationalist demands.

The UDA is claiming republicans are waging a campaign of "ethnic cleansing" against Protestants on the peace line in north and west Belfast.

Nationalists strongly deny the allegation. The Housing Executive says the only reports of intimidation over the past four weeks have been 21 cases against Catholics.

Mr Chris McGimpsey, an Ulster Unionist councillor, says Protestant residents tend to carry out their own repairs after attacks rather than contact the Executive. He claims the threat against Protestants on the peace line is real.

A 15-year-old boy wearing a Rangers FC shirt was dragged from the Springfield Road and beaten up, he says.

A pensioner was kicked to the ground and another Protestant who went to his rescue was stabbed. Pupils at Springfield Road Primary School were threatened with a hatchet and their parents stoned, he says.

Several Protestant streets were evacuated when a suspect device was left on the peace line. Mr McGimpsey says Protestants have been involved in rioting but claims they have been provoked.

"Nationalists protesting about the Orange Order parade have been gathering for a week on the Springfield Road. For the first few nights loyalists ignored them, but now they are responding. I've been on the streets appealing for calm.

"The Protestant community is not entirely blameless, but nationalists have been deliberately confrontational. The RUC told me leading IRA members from the Lower Falls have stood in the front line of the picket."

Mr McGimpsey claims the nightly violence suits the Provisional IRA as it wants the permanent closure of the Lanark Way gate and Protestants kept off the Springfield Road.

"It's part of their campaign to ethnically cleanse the area. They don't want Protestants coming out to the church and school on the road or, in future, to the university campus which is being built and where Protestants might hope to get jobs."

Sean O'Hare of the Springfield Residents' Action Group says he condemns any sectarian attacks on Protestants but claims unionists haven't provide evidence that they are taking place.

"The facts are that the nationalist community is the one under threat. Thirty Catholics from this area were murdered by loyalists during the Troubles. In the past three months, we have documented proof of 14 attacks on nationalists.

"Loyalists have thrown golf and snooker balls at women and children shopping on the Springfield Road. They put a breeze block through the window of Dan Boyle's pub. A glance at local houses tells you which community is living in fear.

"Catholic homes have window grilles, drop bars, reinforced steel doors. Protestant houses have nothing. They are completely unprotected because they are not under attack."

Mr O'Hare denies that nationalist protests about today's Orange march have been provocative.

"We stand peacefully, without flags, holding placards saying `Reroute Sectarian Marches'. They then start hurling missiles. They are the ones behaving in a sinister fashion. Hooded loyalists have videoed and taken photos of us.

"Ninety per cent of the nightly violence is from loyalists. We are only on the streets to protect our homes." Mr O'Hare claims the RUC has allowed the loyalist crowd to cross the peace line to attack nationalists.

The Lanark Way gate must be temporarily closed to protect his community, he says. "Something must be done before somebody is killed. There wouldn't be any question of closing the gate if loyalists behaved themselves."