Halloween this year in Shanghai was a real eye-opener about just how much freedom of expression exists in China—none. A man dressed as a Buddha, a Kim Kardashian lookalike, a giant cockroach and some guy in a hospital gown were all kindly escorted away by the thousands of police that lined up throughout the street that night. Halloween has always been a popular holiday among young people because it’s an opportunity for them to dress up as characters and even walking memes. But since the pandemic, young people took the opportunity to express social and political criticism, taking a snarking swipe at the Chinese authorities. Many dressed up as Covid testing workers in exposure suits in remembrance of the lockdown. 

Of course, the Chinese government isn’t going to let something like this happen again this year. The Shanghai government justified the masses of police officers by publishing a statement accrediting the wisdom of their urban management and cultural tolerance. The excessive police force is to prevent something like the tragic stampede in Seoul’s Itaewon District from happening again, and would only intervene with costumes that “crossed in the lines of decency.” It is funny how dressing up as a Buddha or cosplaying a Japanese anime character are not considered decent.

While this excuse made some sort of sense about containing public dissonance, why are people not allowed to express their dissatisfactions? After all, Shanghai people underwent extreme containment due to the pandemic back in 2022 and the city has finally opened up. The authorities should loosen up the internet censorship and restrictions and let people breathe. This series of actions clearly shows that the Chinese government is not confident about the social mood in their regime and leads to a bigger problem. Even a holiday like Halloween can spark social unrest. Rather than focusing on snuffing these voices, they should instead promote better social wellness and own up to their mistakes.