The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, yesterday denounced attacks on the security forces in Northern Ireland as "unacceptable" and said he would not allow extremists to hijack the peace process.
The Prime Minister made an urgent appeal for calm as more British soldiers arrived in the North in advance of the weekend climax to the marching season. They included members of the Parachute Regiment, who have been deployed at Drumcree.
Mr Blair insisted that the vast majority of people wanted to see the rule of law upheld.
Contacts were continuing yesterday between Downing Street and the leaders of the Orange Order. A spokesman said the Prime Minister was working "flat out" to encourage dialogue between the two communities.
Mr Blair also spoke by telephone with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, the Northern Ireland First Minister, Mr David Trimble, and the Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams.
In a BBC television interview Mr Blair said violence could not be allowed to undermine the peace process. "I hope everyone remains calm and peaceful and realises that we must not let this process, which has been agreed by the people in the referendum, agreed by people in their votes for the new Assembly, to be hijacked by extremists from any side.
"I understand that there are strongly-held views on either side but the rule of law is paramount. That is what we have to enforce without fear or favour and we cannot allow our police or security forces to be attacked by anybody. I will carry on talking to whomever I can and as many people as I can, simply in order to put these points across, and I hope people listen to it."
He said the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland wanted to see the peace process continue. They had voted overwhelmingly in favour of the referendum and the Assembly "because they want the rule of law in the United Kingdom upheld."
"People are entitled to make their protests and entitled to have their views expressed. That is part of our democracy. But they mustn't use violence. Particularly attacks on the police, the RUC or the security forces cannot be accepted and won't be accepted.
"I do think there is a tremendous sense amongst the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland that they want this process to succeed. They can see that there is a future that can work. They voted for it in the referendum because they want it to work."
Earlier, the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, admitted that "time is short" but said every effort would be made to break the deadlock at Drumcree.
She appealed for both communities to resolve their differences and remember the future of their children was at stake.
"It is no longer a peaceful protest and I hope to appeal to the people of Northern Ireland, on whatever side they are, to think again for the future of their children and their children's children."
Dr Mowlam was speaking in London at the launch of the Champion Children's Awards. She was joined by one of last year's finalists, Margaret Gibney, a 13-year-old schoolgirl from Belfast who wrote a letter to Mr Blair expressing her hopes for peace in Northern Ireland.
Dr Mowlam said children in Northern Ireland had shown remarkable courage during the recent violence.
"Over the last couple of days there have been houses, businesses and individuals attacked. We saw an 11-year-old boy pulled from his car with his father, an ex-policeman, and a policeman they were travelling with.
"They attacked them until their bones were broken. That is an appalling situation for any child to experience."
Mr Colin Parry, whose 12-yearold son, Tim, was killed by the Warrington bomb in 1993, has called on Orangemen in Liverpool not to travel to Drumcree this weekend in support of their brethren.