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Q: Are spontaneous gatherings allowed in China?
We're almost in August, the ambiance is very festive at work (well at least the productivity is going a bit down compared to May and June) so I had that crazy funny idea. I wanted to organize a spontaneous gathering somewhere, maybe a subway station where a ton of people would come disguised as anything they want.
I just received a Super Mario costume, and I'm growing a 'stache in preparation of the event. A friend from 'Merica also sent to my Chinese girlfriend a Blackbeard costume, with a fake mechanized parrot who yells "It's friday, which seat can I take" but just us two would be really boring, don't you think?
I was thinking of doing something big, like 20-30 person, dressed as clowns, apes/gorillas, butterflies and giant sandwich man. Oh that will be awesome! I may even make it part of the bonding event I'm preparing for my minions at work! The moar the merrier, like we say in 'Merica!
But I have legals concerns about that. I know that political gatherings are forbidden in China. It will be a super giggling fun party, but of course it's not a political party, just a regular party where we have fun.
Would it be illegal?
12 years 39 weeks ago in Arts & Entertainment - China
Sigh... big sigh... Martin, do you know if it's possible to ask for government's authorization, or is it just a lost cause? And I had such high hopes about that idea!
It must be the Government's idea to promote something of value to the party.
A little known fact - the TS incident. began when the Government bussed college students to TS for a pro-Government ralley that went terribly wrong.
If you choose a low-key place - like where they store the rubbish bins outside KFC (inside it's busy but outside it's not!), or the bit outside the internet bar where they sell those weird sausages on sticks and there's lots of cigarette butts - then you should be ok.
Avoid large open spaces, because since 1990 the government have employed an army of 20,000 snipers stationed on rooftops across Beijing to crack down on such illegal 'spontaneous gatherings'. The snipers use special anti-smog guns which have a sight that can see through the atrocious pollution, and they are trained to have no fear, even against the black man.
There is a nice space along 'ba bao keng hutong' near Dongzhimen you can use. But now I have posted this online, I'm sure the government will deploy a sniper there too :(
Good luck my friend! If you had invited me I would definitely come dressed as the 'giant sandwich man'!
Actually, by Chinese law, a permit or prior notification to the local police is required of gathernings of more than fifteen persons, weddings and dinners and the like held in public places excepted (meaning gatherings of more than 15 persons in one's house). That's the letter of the law, if it is applied equally throughout, well, I am not sure.
Sponatneous gatherings and other spur of the moment activities involving people are okay as long as they are cleared with the government in advance and all the permits are properly secured!
To answer Poutine's comments, several comments above, if you want to have a Halloween or Christmas party like that, have it in an accepted public venue and label it as such. Have it at a KFC, at a McDonald's with a party room. Have outside in a park where it is an open space, etc., etc. It may garner some attention but nothing more than that.
If you were to have it in your apartment, and say you were to live in a gated community, then there might be trouble. There were a group of Christians that met in an apartment in Guangzhou, near Tian He Bei Lu -- they numbered more than 25 -- the neighbors actually complained -- and the police came and they were taken away and the owner of the apartment was heftily, heftily fined. They were not taken away by the Religious Police, which do exist, but by the ordinary Police and charged with illegal association, meaning no permit. One of the neighbors related all of this to me.
They're "allowed" as long as there's no message involved, and you don't cause havoc. A few month ago there was a gathering in Beijing's subway trains to party while riding around the city, and from what I heard it went well.
You know when thousands of middle age ladies gather to dance and do exercizes every summer night, all over China? They don't get a permit or permission.
Actually most of those gatherings in the parks during the summer are done under the aegis, formally or informally, of the local Neighborhood Committees. You may be aware of their existance on a daily basis but they do exist and nearly every neighborhood in China has a "Community Neighborhood Committee Office" which serves as a liaison with the local police.
