What was supposed to be a campus celebration devolved into violence and arrests in Amherst, MA last weekend. Unsurprisingly, alcohol was at the center of the problem.

From the AP via Syracuse.com

St. Patrick’s celebrations at UMass spark rioting and 70 arrests, despite stepped-up security

AMHERST, Mass. — The chaos at the University of Massachusetts over the weekend during a pre-St. Patrick’s Day celebration brought new attention to an old problem affecting colleges across the country: How to deal with alcohol-fueled revelers during the March festivities.

Celebrations near the UMass campus in Amherst spiraled out of control Saturday as police dealt with thousands of drunken and unruly people during the annual “Blarney Blowout.” More than 70 were arrested and four officers suffered minor injuries.

Like other colleges and towns, UMass and Amherst officials took action to try to prevent problems. The university warned students last week that there would be an increased police presence Saturday, and Amherst police prepared for large-scale disturbances based on past problems. Six people were arrested in Amherst last year…

Amherst police Capt. Jennifer Gundersen told The Republican newspaper of Springfield that the daylong partying was “extremely disturbing and unsafe.”

“Perhaps one of the worst scenes we have ever had with drunkenness and unruliness,” Gundersen said. “It is extremely upsetting. It is very dangerous.”

UMass denounced the “unruly behavior” Saturday, and spokesman Ed Blaguszewski said students who were arrested will be reviewed under the school’s code of conduct and sanctions could include suspension or expulsion.

Many UMass students and other young people posted their thoughts and experiences during Blarney Blowout on Twitter. Some said the police response was excessive, one person said their nose was broken by a beer bottle that someone threw and another said they were “teargassed.”

Longtime Amherst resident Larry Kelley has railed against drunken UMass student partying for the past several years. He reported on Saturday’s events on his blog, “Only in the Republic of Amherst.”