Police have arrested three people in north Belfast this morning after sporadic rioting around the flashpoint Limestone road.
The three are being held charged with riotous behaviour.
A police spokeswoman said one officer had to draw his firearm as a crowd wielding iron bars and sticks tried to prevent an arrest of a man in the Newington Street area.
She said the crowd dispersed with the help of a nationalist community worker but during the incident, an officer sustained cuts to his face.
Sinn Féin councillor Mr Gerard Brophy claimed the trouble started when a crowd of up to 60 loyalists armed with bricks, bottles and baseball bats attacked nationalist homes in Park End, Clamchattan Street and Newington Street.
He said the attack was clearly orchestrated and the crowd included a number of skinheads from the neo-Nazi Combat 18 group from Scotland.
"Police arrived in huge numbers and started attacking nationalists out defending their homes, he alleged. "We have a number of people lifted and a number of people away to hospital with injuries after being hit with batons."
However, loyalist community worker Mr Eddie McClean described Mr Brophy's claims as "absolute nonsense" and said the trouble began when nationalist youths attacked cars in the Tiger's Bay area.
"Take it from me, there was nobody from Combat 18 here. That's just propaganda," he said.