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Chinese police are cracking down on Halloween in Shanghai, dispersing costumed crowds and hauling away people who show up to parks dressed up for the holiday — all in an effort to “maintain good social order and public image.”
While there is no official ban on Halloween, many viewed the heavy enforcement on Saturday and Sunday as the government’s attempt to prevent a repeat of last year’s parties, where costumed citizens took to the streets to poke fun at their leaders’ failed policies and strict COVID-19 laws.
Last year’s revelers went viral with costumes of giant surveillance cameras, Covid testers, and censored social media posts — infuriating authorities who are intolerant to even the slightest criticism of the Chinese Communist Party.
China watchers say the crackdown suggests that the CCP is continuing to strangle the few remaining freedoms in the Communist nation.