In Lan Kwai Fong, nightmares ahead of Halloween

An online call to don masks and march to the entertainment zone has made this years Halloween little more scarier for some people. Photo: RTHK

Many bar managers in Lan Kwai Fong say they are bracing themselves for some real horror on Thursday, as online calls have gone out asking people to put on masks and march to the entertainment area from Victoria Park to mark the Halloween festival.



This comes just weeks after government rolled out a ban on face masks during even police-approved rallies, though anti-government protesters have been widely ignoring it.



Lan Kwai Fong is a popular area for Halloween revellers, who wear masks and scary costumes to party away the night to mark the festival.



But the mask ban and the ongoing protests have added an air of uncertainty this time around.



Police have warned of possible chaos on Hong Kong island and urged shops to stay vigilant and close early if necessary.



But passion and chaos are not something new to bar managers in Lan Kwai Fong, and many say they’ll run their business as usual on Thursday.



Ethel Lumbera, who manages Los Sotano pub in the area, said she is keeping her fingers crossed everything will stay under control.



She told RTHK that Halloween is a big festival for bars and pubs in the area as it brings in a lot of business. She hoped things will be the same this year despite the protests.



The manager of Carat pub, Sasi, said the Lan Kwai Fong Association has offered to provide extra security staff in the area to monitor the situation.



He said he’s heard that uniformed police won’t enter Lan Kwai Fong.



"If the protesters see police uniform, they will be more violent," he said. "To avoid that police will not come into Lan Kwai Fong area."



But Sasi said he believes police may post officers who are not in uniform around the area to monitor the situation.