Security may be scaled down at the Orange Order's Drumcree parade this year, the police officer in charge of the operation said today.
The PSNI Assistant Chief Constable, Mr Stephen White, is considering plans aimed at refining the huge operations of previous years, when major violence erupted.
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"My desire is to perform this operation with a more sophisticated touch than previous years if possible," he said.
Unionist and loyalist fury at a ban on Orangemen marching down the staunchly Catholic Garvaghy Road on their return from a church service at Drumcree - near Portadown, Co Armagh - has ended in fierce clashes in the past.
The parade has been blocked since 1997, prompting thousands of protesters to attack police and British soldiers, although numbers were down at last year's stand-off.
But as he prepared his plans for this year's parade on July 7th, Mr White voiced hope that serious disorder would not erupt.
"There seems to be no stomach or desire in the Portadown area for the type of violence we are seeing around Belfast," he said.
"Both sides, the Orangemen and nationalist residents on the Garvaghy Road, are well aware that violence only begets violence."
Mr White refused to reveal his plans, but it is understood he is waiting for the outcome of a determination by the Northern Ireland Parades Commission on the Drumcree march.
The decision is due by Monday and it would be a major surprise if the commission decided to let the Orangemen march down Garvaghy Road.
But Mr White warned both sides that security forces were still prepared to take firm action on any troublemakers. If needed, up to 1,000 police officers and four Army battalions can be drafted in to combat disorder.
Mr Breandan Mac Cionnaith, spokesman for the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition, said a scaled-down security operation would not surprise him.
"Drumcree protesters have decreased from 20,000 a few years ago to two to three thousand last year," he said.
"Along with that the protests themselves have been less violent so I can see the case for pulling back on the major fortifications."
An Orange Order spokeswoman said members were waiting until the Parades Commission made its determination before commenting on security plans.
Pointing to the length of time it takes marchers to walk down the Garvaghy Road, she added: "All we are asking for is 15 minutes of tolerance.
"There are less than 60 houses which look out onto the road and people have to inconvenience themselves to be offended."
PA