"THE Brits are back! The Brits are back!" said six year old Sinead as she stood with her mother on the Falls watching a convoy of army Land Rovers.
They drove into several west Belfast security bases. They did not come out again but people thought that was only a matter of time.
The RUC was out with flak jackets and machineguns. Unarmed policing had been swiftly set aside. Sinead didn't seem to mind but her mother, Kathleen, was bitterly disappointed.
"I grew up with all this," she said, "and I don't want it for my children. If it all starts up again, where will it end? Will my grandchildren have to go through it all? How many generations will have to live like this?"
She thought that the British government had been negative in its response to the peace process. "But that doesn't excuse anyone planting a bomb and killing innocent people."
The RUC set up vehicle checkpoints all over the city. Some officers joked about the extra overtime, but struggled to readjust to the fear of being once again "legitimate targets".
Despite heavy rain, the city centre was busy with shoppers on Saturday. That night, bars and restaurants were crowded.
"There would be no point in everybody staying at home," said John Donnelly in Morrisons bar. "The IRA will do whatever it's going to do anyway." However, security men returned to some premises.
In several nationalist bars, most people defended the IRA attack and said that the British government had not given republicans enough.
Ecumenical peace services were held in Belfast yesterday and several peace rallies are planned for this week. Women Together will hold a vigil outside City Hall at midday today.