Why is China afraid of Halloween?

Halloween is the favorite time of thousands of people, but for the authorities of China has become a headache.

Especially in Shanghai, the largest city of the Asian giant, strict security measures were taken for the holidays even before October 31. This since in recent days, police officers have been patrolling the city center to restrict celebrations and arrest people in disguise.

According to media like BBC And The New York Times , Many people who had dressed up before Halloween in the Chinese city ended up being taken away in police vans. They were dressed as Buddha, Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian or comic book characters like Batman and Deadpool.

Recordings appearing on social media also showed increased security measures in the city, including control fences on sidewalks to limit pedestrian traffic. Last Saturday, police also went to disperse participants in a festival organized in Zhongshan Park.

Authorities have made no official announcement banning any type of activity for Halloween. However, in early October, owners of commercial establishments such as bars and cafes reportedly received warnings from the Shanghai government not to hold events on the theme, in order to preserve “social order and public image », Reports Reuters.

The intense Halloween police crackdown in the Chinese city comes exactly a year after thousands of young people wore their best clothes and came out in droves to celebrate.

On this occasion we saw the typical costumes such as fairies, zombies and superheroes, but What went most viral were those who took the opportunity to criticize and mock the Chinese government, Covid-19 lockdowns and unemployment.

It was also the first Halloween celebrated since the Asian country ended restrictions due to the pandemic, so many users on the networks assured that it was a kind of collective therapy.

The Shanghai government also viewed the celebration as something positive, as in a statement it assured that “with its unique blend of Western traditions and Chinese creativity, it offered a vision of the changing cultural landscape of a dynamic city “.

But this year, that view has changed. Now, Chinese authorities have decided to strengthen control on the city’s streets in order to prevent the scenes of Halloween 2023 from happening again.

According to the New York Times, the restriction on the event also comes at a time when authorities have become much more restrictive on personal expression and take a dim view of large crowds that gather spontaneously.

This is not the first time that Chinese authorities have decided to strengthen security measures at this time of year.

Already in 2014, Beijing police warned that people who wore flashy costumes on the subway during the Halloween celebration would be arrested. The reason why they put forward is that this type of clothing could disrupt public order and cause panic among passengers, the BBC then detailed.