Belfast City Council has voted to restrict the flying of the union flag over Belfast City Hall to 15 days a year.
Sinn Féin and the SDLP councillors wanted to completely end the tradition.
However, they supported a compromise proposal by the six Alliance Party representatives on the 51-member Council.
Unionist representatives sought to continue with the practice of flying the flag throughout the year.
The vote was carried by a 29 to 21 majority.
Hooded loyalist protesters subsequently tried to storm Belfast City Hall after the vote.
Hundreds of loyalists had taken to the street and burnt Irish tricolours to show their opposition to the motion to have the flag removed for the first time in over a century.