Immigrant families fled a Catholic area of Northern Ireland when loyalist rioters tried to attack nationalist homes during the night, local Sinn Fein politician John O'Dowd said.
"Around 100 loyalists attacked police who prevented them attacking nationalist homes," said O'Dowd, who is a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The families from East Timor packed their bags and ran from their homes in Portadown, Co Armagh, when the area was engulfed in violence, he said.
"They packed their bags, so distressed were they at the violence. Their neighbours tried to reassure them that they would be safe in their homes but they left," he added.
For several hours police were attacked by people armed with petrol bombs, bricks, bottles, fireworks and other missiles in the latest violence surrounding the high point of the loyalist marching season.
The police fired around 20 plastic bullets and arrested three people.
They confirmed that loyalists provoked the violence when a planned peaceful protest was hijacked by a violent minority.
The Mayor of the local Craigavon council, Democratic Unionist Alan Carson, condemned the violence.
"This does not do anyone any good. People have a right to live peacefully and feel safe in their own homes. The violence we saw last night is something we assigned to the history books," he said.
A significant number of families from East Timor have settled in Portadown, where they work in the food packing industry alongside many Poles and Portuguese.
In recent days nearly 50 police have been wounded and dozens have been arrested during violence in both loyalist and republican areas surrounding the annual July 12 parades.
More than 500 parades were held on Tuesday across Northern Ireland, the high point of the Orange Order marching season celebrating the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
The vast majority passed off peacefully, but they raised community tensions and sparked outbreaks of street violence.
Three decades of fighting between mostly Protestant loyalists who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom and Irish nationalists, mainly Catholics, who want it to be part of a united Ireland tore the province apart during a three-decade period known as the "Troubles."
A 1998 peace agreement paved the way for a power-sharing government of loyalists and nationalists.
Violence has subsided, but police say the threat from dissident groups opposed to the peace deal is higher than it has ever been since it was signed.
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