The Orange Order is to decide how it responds to the ruling

The Parades Commission has rejected a second application for it to reverse restrictions on the Whiterock parade.

The Orange Order has refused to accept the ruling, but the DUP's Nelson McCausland said marchers and supporters should behave in a "dignified manner".

Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey said they would seek to "maintain calm".

Belfast's senior police commander, Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland, also appealed for a peaceful parade.

"I recognise there is tension across the community, I am asking people not to let that tension escalate," he said.

Factory

"I am appealing to all those with influence to use that influence to ensure Saturday is peaceful and lawful.

"It is the role of the Police Service to uphold the law. We will police the Parades Commission determination as laid down."

The Parades Commission has refused to review the decision despite appeals from the Orange Order and the North and West Belfast Parades Forum.

The Orange Order wants to go through Workman Avenue, off the mainly nationalist Springfield Road, but has been ordered by the commission to go though the former Mackies factory site.

The commission has said it could not review its original ruling as it has not received any new information.

The commission said its ruling last week was a "genuine attempt to manage the many difficult and emotive issues" surrounding this year's Whiterock parade.

It said it wanted to "accommodate the concerns of the parade organisers and residents".

Mr Maskey said that the Order had not properly engaged in dialogue over the march.

'Peaceful'

"What's happened in the past year is that the Orange Order have not been properly involved in dialogue and have reached no single agreement with nationalist residents," he said.

"But what we will be doing and what residents will be doing is trying to maintain calm."

Mr McCausland said the Orange Order and and the North and West Belfast Forum would be discussing what the options are.

"We realise that there are a number of possible options before the unionist community and there will be meetings to decide how they respond to that Parades Commission decision," he said.

"I wouldn't want to comment on them, other than to say people should behave in a peaceful and dignified manner."

Last year, at the eleventh hour, the commission reversed its original decision and allowed Orangemen to walk part of the route, with a number of conditions.