Police officers surveilled sensitive locations in the metropolis over the weekend, arresting people wearing masks. The use of masks or made-up faces was repressed, although there was no specific prohibition in this regard. Last year, the anniversary was an occasion to criticize and attack the leaders and policies of the Communist Party.
Shanghai () – Over the weekend, Shanghai authorities reinforced controls and increased the number of patrols in sensitive areas of the metropolis, with the aim of repressing any celebration or activity related to the upcoming Halloween party, planned for October 31. Law enforcement and administrators in China’s most “international” city want to avoid a repeat of last year’s events, when groups of revelers packed the center in costumes critical of the leadership and policies of the ruling Communist Party. Added to this were protests against the economic crisis, youth unemployment and Covid health directives.
In recent days, the presence of numerous police patrols, warnings – also on the Internet – of repression and zero tolerance for demonstrations, as well as unfavorable weather, with incessant rain, have reduced the celebrations to a minimum. According to some testimonies transmitted by Reuters, several people in disguise who had appeared in Zhongshan Park on the night of October 25 were detained and taken away by security agents. In reality, they had not issued any explicit ban on celebrating Halloween, although local district officials sent notices to businesses before the weekend encouraging the celebration of family events. Although they discouraged activities in which adults wore costumes or masks.
The owner of a bar and restaurant in the Jing An nightlife district was asked to sign an agreement issued by the district authorities, pledging not to organize events such as costume parties “in order to maintain good social order and the public image. Also on the night of October 25, in Jing An, a person dressed as a skeleton attending an event was detained by police and taken to an administrative building, where he was asked to remove his masks and makeup.
The next day, the news of the Shanghai authorities’ crackdown on Halloween celebrations was one of the most talked about topics on social media, especially on China’s Weibo. One user noted how “even in relatively open Shanghai, the scale of freedom is constantly shrinking.” The celebrations were officially authorized at the Shanghai Disney Resort and the Happy Valley amusement park, where they took place as planned.
In China, Halloween is not a traditional holiday, but for some time, especially last year, people’s interest in the occasion has grown, especially in big cities like Beijing or Shanghai, with photos and videos re-released on social networks. In 2023, the date was also an opportunity – through satire and irony – to express the «discontent and dissent» against the central authorities. Hence the repression of some masks, including that of the famous teddy bear “Winnie the Pooh”, which the authorities do not like because it would remind us of President Xi Jinping. Other costumes considered “sensitive” are the emperor’s mask to appeal to absolute power or young people disguised as health personnel, who became infamous during the worst phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the “zero case” policy of swab and confinement.
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