A group of San Francisco residents and merchants say that the city's decision to ban this year's Halloween party in the Castro neighborhood will not deter the throngs of people from showing up for the street festivities, but will impact greatly their businesses.
"For decades Castro (district) merchants have exercised their right to ultra hours on this holiday and for many employees and businesses it's one of the highest income days of the year," said Gary Virginia from Citizens for Halloween, a group founded by the former city government candidate, Alix Rosenthal.
Although marred by violence, the event has grown in the last several years to attract tens of thousands of people from the Bay Area. Nine people were shot last year at the massive street event that erupted in violence. Four people were stabbed in 2002. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that he'll convene a task force to address the problems during the Halloween celebration.
Last month, city authorities announced that San Francisco is taking extra measures to make sure people do not celebrate similarly to prior years. The city has hired workers to pass flyers at San Francisco subway stations and to plaster signs informing the public that there will not be any official Halloween celebration in the Castro this year.
The City also contacted more than 100 businesses, and about a dozen agreed to close their doors before the Halloween night. The San Francisco Police Department will also assign a few hundred additional officers to patrol the neighborhood.
Activists argue, however, that the city hasn't announced any specific measures for public safety, medical emergencies, fire property damage, or any other potential issues in the Castro this year.
While city officials plan to give specific details about the additional safety measures in early October, activists from Citizens for Halloween demand answers now.
"What happens if so many people show up in the Castro that they block the streets? What is the plan to prevent violence and property damage? The city merely assured us that they are prepared," said Rosenthal.
"We want Halloween to be safe. We want Halloween to be spooky…not scary."
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