Shanghai police raid The Parrot bar, test party-goers for drugs

Crowd made to do drug test before they could leave

Entrance of The Parrot on Donghu Road.

Shanghai police raided The Parrot bar on April 27 and conducted drug tests at the venue, said eyewitnesses present at the scene.

Police showed up to the Donghu Road spot, which is popular among foreigners, around 11pm on Friday night. Three to six men blocked the alleyway leading to the bar, preventing people from leaving.

According to multiple accounts, people who tried leaving were told by police they had to take a drug test first. The tests were done in the bar’s bathroom, and those who came out negative were marked with an “X” on their hand before being let go.

Some reports say that only foreign men were tested, but this could not be verified. It’s also unclear how many people tested positive.

The Funka group, which operates The Parrot, confirmed the incident but declined to make anyone available for comment.

This is the latest in police raids on bars and clubs across the city. In September last year, police descended on Celia nightclub and conducted identification checks, with a number of foreigners taken away to the police station and made to undergo drug tests there.