Authorities in Shanghai crack down on Halloween celebrations

Police officers keep watch near barricades set up along Julu Road where people in Halloween costumes gathered the year before, in Shanghai, China, on Oct. 26, 2024.

In Shanghai, police, not trick-or-treaters and partygoers, are taking to the streets this week as the city approaches Halloween. The strengthened police force accompanies official notices prohibiting citizens from “role-playing” on Halloween, signaling the government’s paranoia over the social instability the holiday’s festivities could bring.