The Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, has appealed to politicians elected to the Assembly to use any influence they have to prevent clashes at forthcoming Orange parades after violence flared between nationalists and the RUC at the weekend.
Clashes broke out between nationalists and police in west Belfast during an Orange parade on Saturday.
Stones and bottles were hurled at police lines separating nationalist residents and Orangemen marching to Whiterock Orange Hall on the Springfield Road, where the parade passed a cluster of Catholic homes which were separated from the marchers by a 300ft canvas screen.
Police in riot gear stood on the Springfield Road to keep the marchers and several hundred residents part. Residents were protesting against the Parades Commission's decision to allow the march to follow its traditional route.
A tense stand-off occurred before the parade passed the contentious part of the route. A small number of nationalists broke away from the main protest body on the Springfield Road into Elswick Street to get closer to where the Orangemen were parading.
Police in riot gear held back most of the protesters, but some managed to break through police lines. Missiles were thrown at the police and officers batoned protestors.
Nationalists blew whistles and waved Tricolours as the Orange parade passed along the Springfield Road peaceline.
Sinn Fein said that, had the Orange Order been prepared to talk to residents, the violence could have been avoided. The party's newly-elected Assembly member, Ms Bairbre de Brun, said police actions were "unacceptable".
The SDLP councillor, Mr Alex Attwood, who has also been elected to the new Northern Ireland Assembly, said he believed the police were too heavy-handed and allowed a situation to get out of control through bad handling.
Dr Mowlam said she was depressed and disappointed that people had taken to the streets in west Belfast and urged politicians to exert any influence they could to prevent violence at forthcoming parades.
"I call on all those who have just been elected to the new Northern Ireland Assembly to do all they can to encourage people not to take to the streets."
About 2,000 Orangemen and more than 20 marching bands took part in the parade.