On the evening of October 26, in Shanghai, some young people staged a Halloween party with the Chinese Communist authorities, showcasing various bizarre costumes at places like Zhongshan Park and Joy City. This event was a display of their pursuit of freedom and their opposition to the authorities. Eventually, they were forcibly evacuated by the police from the park and other locations.
According to Mr. Fang, a Christian in Shanghai who is following the event, not only local young people attended the party but also some young people from other places. He mentioned that the usual spots like Changle Road and Julu Road were heavily guarded by the police, deterring people from gathering there in Halloween costumes.
He further explained that the young people shifted their gathering spot to Zhongshan Park without the initial knowledge of the police, and when the park became crowded, the authorities rushed to the scene—a tactic resembling guerrilla warfare.
Mr. Fang emphasized that Halloween used to be an opportunity for young people to have fun, but it has now turned into a movement against the Communist regime, a way to voice their grievances against the authorities. He noted that many young people in Shanghai are unemployed, supported by their parents, and they coordinate their actions through mobile phones.
He also mentioned that older individuals, like himself, used to pay more attention to political trends, but now they are more focused on the U.S. presidential election and the upcoming Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
A week earlier, an internal notice from the Huangpu District Street Office was leaked, stating that the police requested the prohibition of “cosplayers” on Halloween, with immediate dissuasion and intervention upon identification.
During the Halloween party on the 26th, many participants dressed as various characters were taken away by the police. Those who resisted removing their costumes were warned of further detention at the public security bureau.
In a video, a girl described being taken by the police to remove her makeup in Wujiaochang, Yangpu District, Shanghai. She expressed fear and managed to escape rather than comply with the police orders.
Video footage showed young people moving to locations like Zhongshan Park and Joy City, where numerous cosplayers were taken away by the police. Onlookers bid them farewell, and the atmosphere appeared relaxed despite the police actions.
As a young man dressed as a monk was taken away by the police, the crowd collectively shouted: “Why? It’s my fault.” Discontent with the police actions surfaced with commotion and screams from the onlookers.
A daring individual dressed as a patient removed their scrubs and embraced a police officer, prompting spectators to exclaim, “Cured, cured!”
On the night of the 26th, a significant number of police forces were deployed to Zhongshan Park, leading to the forced evacuation of young people present.
On the following day, curious Shanghai residents who rushed to witness the commotion found the places deserted. An elderly citizen arrived at the previously bustling Halloween spots in Shanghai, including Changle Road, Julu Road, and the vicinity of Shaanxi South Road. However, they found these areas heavily guarded by security personnel and police, with patrol cars visible, and barricades set up at intersections.
They observed the absence of costumed young people and minimal foot traffic, only occasional passersby taking pictures with their phones.
The Shanghai Halloween event garnered attention on social media platforms, with some users sharing comments that highlighted the significance of Halloween as a day for the Chinese to experience freedom amidst the mundanity of daily life.
For a disabled female blogger, Halloween offered a unique experience. She took her wheelchair for a stroll as usual but felt liberated from the cautious treatment and judgmental stares she typically faced. She could freely display her true self without inhibition, radiating happiness. She emphasized that her wheelchair was not a prop, and she was delighted that no one assumed her participation in the Halloween activities was a mere whim, dispelling misconceptions about her wheelchair usage.