Chicago police officers arrested 40 people in the South Loop late Sunday after hundreds took part in the latest “teen trend” gathering in the city’s downtown area.

       The large group gathered near West Roosevelt Road and South Canal Street and mobbed a nearby convenience store as a series of fights broke out, officials said. Officers started to make arrests around 8 p.m., police said, after those in the group refused orders to leave the area.

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       Police records show that CPD Deputy Chief Jon Hein declared a mass arrest situation at 9:22 p.m.

       Large youth gatherings downtown have remained a vexing problem for police for the last decade. Organized over social media, typically during the warm summer months, the crowds of teens have sometimes turned violent.