On October 28, 2024, Halloween has always been a day of revelry for the youth. Last year in Shanghai, Halloween saw many role-playing costumes that satirized social issues. As this year’s Halloween approached, tensions rose in Shanghai, with authorities ramping up police presence and reportedly banning citizens from engaging in “role-playing” on Halloween. Young people in Shanghai were once again seen “cosplaying” on the streets before Halloween, some shouting “freedom,” while the police were on high alert, driving away and apprehending them.
According to social media information, an internal notice circulated by the Huangpu District Street Office stated a strict ban on any form of Halloween dress-up this year, especially on role-playing and makeup with horror or violence elements. If any violations or related activities are found, the police will take measures to advise and enforce. Some universities in Shanghai have informed students not to participate in Halloween gatherings, especially to avoid role-playing on Julu Road and Changle Road.
Videos from the mainland show that on October 26 during the day, many young people in Shanghai dressed up in various costumes, gathered on the streets to perform; at night, a large number of young people congregated on sections like Zhongshan Park and Zhongshan Road, singing and performing to celebrate Halloween.
One video segment showed a large group of young people watching a performance. Among the crowd, a young woman resembling the Statue of Liberty was seen shouting “freedom,” to which the crowd cheered in response. The video sparked discussions online, with netizens expressing their support for freedom.
On that day, Shanghai was filled with police and police cars, forcibly dispersing and even arresting these costumed young people. Some of them moved through the streets engaging in “guerrilla warfare” with the police; some bid farewell gracefully to onlookers before being taken away in police cars; while others argued on the spot with the police, accusing them of “violent enforcement.”
Another video showed that on the 27th, at Dongshan Kou pedestrian street in Guangzhou, locals mentioned that just like in Shanghai, people cosplaying in Guangzhou were also asked to remove their costumes.
A woman named Xu from Shanghai expressed to Epoch Times on October 28, “Undercover police are everywhere on the streets, Shanghai is very tense now, hearing that even universities don’t allow students to go out.” She questioned the excessive control, emphasizing people’s freedom to express themselves through clothing.
Furthermore, a human rights lawyer who previously practiced in Shanghai, Wu Shaoping, stated to Epoch Times that friends in China commonly lament the oppressive atmosphere in today’s society, attributing it to the CCP’s strengthened authoritarian rule under Xi Jinping. Wu believes the crackdown on Halloween by authorities is spurred by the fear of young people gathering and expressing dissatisfaction with the CCP regime through festive means.
Wu explained that the entire society is under immense pressure, and any creative sparks resonating with the youth could lead to more intense expressions of discontent towards the CCP. He emphasized that despite the CCP’s attempts to criminalize the actions of these young people, they believe their behavior is legitimate and lawful.
Last year on October 31, Shanghai’s Halloween witnessed an unusual displaying of “freedom of speech.” Young people in Shanghai gathered on Julu Road wearing various unconventional attire, such as wearing a surveillance camera model on their heads, symbolizing the omnipresent surveillance system of the CCP; some dressed as beaten-up programmers, representing the burst tech industry; there were even costumes like a “Wu Jing” carrying a sign saying “To kill from a distance,” mocking the CCP’s wolf warrior diplomacy… There were people dressed as Winnie the Pooh dancing, and an emperor’s procession attire, clearly satirizing Xi Jinping.