The lesson of yesterday's events at Garvaghy Road "is that the British establishment will always capitulate to force and mob rule in favour of British rule in the Six Counties", said Mr Ruairi O Bradaigh, president of Republican Sinn Fein.
"The RUC under British orders have acted as the battering ram of the triumphalist Orangemen. The situation has been brought back to 1969. The hope is it will be handled better this time around."