Don't you hate it when you're having an argument and half the police force shows up, including K-9s and guys in SWAT uniforms?

An argument between two women leaving a Financial District bar at closing time one April night ended with a street-clogging "near riot" that took 67 police officers - including K-9 and SWAT units - and at least two uses of pepper spray to quell, police told the Boston Licensing Board this morning.

Showing they'd lost none of the prowess for pointless violence pioneered in Boston in the Broad Street riot 175 years ago, people originally just ambling from nearby bars to the 75 State Street garage early on April 7 decided, what the hell, and began pummeling each other.

Even with officers from every district in the city responding, it still took an hour to finally clear the area around State and Broad, Lt. Michael Talbot told the board. At least one woman reported being raped, Talbot said. And in a separate incident around the same time at the Place on India Street, Talbot said, a man tried beating up his ex-girlfriend - after following her there from Kowloon in Saugus.

Talbot said the main action began around 1:50 a.m. with two arguing women exiting the Bar Room. One of them punched a man in the face. Because the Bar Room is near the entrance to the garage, the fight attracted attention of people heading for their cars from other nearby bars, he said. The crowd grew ugly. More punches flew. A police unit assigned to closing time in the area started feeling overwhelmed and radioed for help. More people swarmed into the area. A manager at the Bar Room said at one point he looked out and that the area was so packed with combatants he couldn't see individual punches being thrown.

Lt. John Hughes told the board that at that point, he activated the city's emergency-deployment system, in which officers from every other district in the city dropped what they were doing and sped downtown, "due to the large crowd and numerous fights taking place."

When it was all over the two women who sparked it all were under arrest.

The licensing board decides Thursday whether to take any action against the Bar Room and the Place.