"Halloween in Shanghai faced strict control by authorities, with young people turning to Zhongshan Park to celebrate, and multiple people were taken away by police." (screenshot from the internet)
October 28, 2024 – Halloween has always been a day of revelry for young people. Last year in Shanghai, Halloween saw many people dressing up in satirical, socially critical costumes. This year, on the eve of Halloween, Shanghai's atmosphere is tense, with authorities increasing police presence and reportedly forbidding residents from engaging in 'cosplay' on Halloween. Before Halloween, young people in Shanghai were once again 'cosplaying' (dressing up) and taking to the streets, with some shouting 'freedom.' The police reacted as if facing a major threat, driving them away and arresting them."
"According to social media reports, an internal notice allegedly issued by the Huangpu District Street Office indicates that Halloween costumes, especially cosplay and makeup with horror or violence elements, are strictly prohibited in the district this year. If illegal costumes or related activities are found, the police will take action to discourage and enforce against them. Some universities in Shanghai have notified students not to attend Halloween gatherings, especially on Julu Road and Changle Road for cosplay."
"A video from mainland China shows that on October 26, many young people in Shanghai wore a variety of costumes and gathered on the streets to perform; by evening, more young people gathered in Shanghai's Zhongshan Park and along Zhongshan Road to sing, perform, and celebrate Halloween."
"In one video, a large crowd of young people is watching a performance. Among them, a young woman, seemingly dressed as the Statue of Liberty, shouted 'freedom,' and the crowd cheered in response. The video sparked heated discussion, with netizens expressing 'support for freedom.'"
"Almost the entire street in Shanghai was filled with police and police cars that day, forcibly dispersing and even arresting the 'dressed-up' young people. Some of these young people moved through the streets, engaging in 'guerrilla tactics' with the police; others acted casually, waving goodbye to onlookers before being taken into police cars, while some argued on the spot, accusing the police of 'violent enforcement.' (video)"
"Another video shows that on the 27th, in Guangzhou’s Dongshankou Pedestrian Street, locals similarly reported that, like in Shanghai, if cosplay was found, people would be asked to take off their costumes."
"Ms. Xu from Shanghai told the Epoch Times on October 28 that plainclothes police are everywhere, and Shanghai is now incredibly tense, with universities reportedly restricting students from going out. 'After all, it’s people’s freedom – just by wearing clothes, how could they possibly overturn the world? They can't. It’s made overly tense, like they’re extremely nervous. In reality, people are just expressing their own thoughts, and they (the authorities) hold the weapons, so what can ordinary people do? It’s overdone.'"
"She said that young people nowadays are unafraid, 'Young people today don't want to have children, don't want to buy houses, don’t marry, etc.; they are just 'lying flat.' Many of them are unemployed – what are they afraid of? The unemployment rate is over 30 percent.'"
"Lawyer Wu Shaoping, a human rights advocate who previously practiced in Shanghai and now lives in the U.S., told Epoch Times that, according to his understanding, friends in China widely feel that society is extremely repressed due to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) reinforcing one-party dictatorship. Under the Xi Jinping administration, severe regressive controls have increased, leaving no space for citizens to freely express their feelings and thoughts."
"He believes that the authorities intensified control during Halloween out of concern that young people gathering and celebrating might express dissatisfaction with the CCP regime through revelry."
"'Because society is in a highly pressurized state, if a creative spark resonates with everyone, young people may express their emotions in more intense ways, as dissatisfaction with the CCP regime. I think that’s what the CCP is afraid of,' he said."
"Wu Shaoping pointed out that at the end of 2022, during the 'White Paper Movement,' young people took to the streets, forcing the CCP to lift the COVID lockdown policy. Last Halloween, many people dressed up in costumes to mock the authorities. This year, these young people have likely come prepared. 'The CCP is very evil and may find ways to charge young people with crimes. But these young people believe their actions are justified, reasonable, and legal.'"
"On October 31 last year, Shanghai's Halloween saw a rare display of 'freedom of expression.' Young people in Shanghai gathered on Julu Road and other areas, wearing a variety of quirky costumes. Some wore surveillance camera models on their heads, a clear jab at the CCP's omnipresent surveillance system; others dressed as bruised programmers, representing the overburdened tech industry; one even held a sign reading 'Punish No Matter How Far,' impersonating Wu Jing, mocking the CCP's 'wolf warrior' stance... Some dressed as Winnie the Pooh dancing, while others dressed as emperors, clearly mocking Xi Jinping."Editor: Lin Congwen
Editor: Lin Congwen
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