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10th Mar 2014

U.S. college kids cause chaos during pre-St. Patrick’s Day ‘Blarney Blowout’ celebrations

Judging by these pictures from Twitter and Instagram, the ‘Blarney Blowout’ in Amherst, Massachusetts, certainly lived up to its name...

Oisin Collins

Judging by these pictures from Twitter and Instagram, the ‘Blarney Blowout’ in Amherst, Massachusetts, certainly lived up to its name…

According to reports from various American media outlets over the weekend, more than 70 students were arrested throughout Saturday during a mass ‘unsanctioned’ pre-St. Patrick’s Day party outside a student residence complex near the University of Massachusetts’ flagship campus in Amherst.

You can see just how big the unsanctioned event was in the pictures below, along with some of the more unruly behaviour that was caught on camera…

In a statement released over the weekend, the University of Massachusetts “denounced the unruly behaviour” caused during the ‘Blarney Blowout’.

The statement reads as follows: “Ed Blaguszewski, campus spokesman, said students arrested by Amherst Police or UMass Police will have the details of their behaviour reviewed by the Dean of Students under the Student Code of Conduct. Sanctions can include suspension or expulsion from the university.

“UMass Police worked throughout the day with Amherst Police to manage crowds that gathered, which occurred for the most part off campus. UMass Police reported three arrests, none of them UMass students. Other arrests were made by Amherst Police.
“In the days leading up to the gathering, the university reached out to students, landlords, parents, faculty and staff in a campaign to communicate the importance of students acting safely and respecting the property of others.

“In addition, the university sent letters to students who had been disciplined for alcohol-related misconduct in the past year and to students who live in off-campus housing cited for noise or nuisance complaints reminding them of the possible consequences of bad behaviour.”

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