AMHERST -- Amherst and other police officers in full riot gear moved in on a crowd of what appeared to be several thousand University of Massachusetts Amherst students celebrating the annual Blarney Blowout party in the area of several large apartment complexes off Cottage Street in North Amherst shortly after noon on Saturday.

It was reportedly the second major dispersal of the day, and it involved students squaring off with police officers in a melee that involved pepper spray, bottles and cans and just about anything that could be turned into a projectile.

Several arrests were made, including one young man who appeared to have a bloody face as police led him away.

The police were heavily outnumbered, and continued to follow the crowd, which moved en masse toward the center of the UMass campus.

The number of arrests or severity of the injuries witnessed at the scene was unclear as the situation was still developing.

Police from the Amherst, UMass and Massachusetts State Police are involved in the effort.

Things were relatively quiet at downtown bars, where other students were gathering for the annual Barney Blowout party.

This is a developing story and will be updated as our reporting continues

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