Allan Zeman expects Lan Kwai Fong to see its worst Halloween as planned protests are likely to spook revellers
- The Halloween street party in the nightlife district of Lan Kwai Fong is likely to have the least attendees in its 33-year history because of possible protests in the area
- Allan Zeman, the biggest landlord in the district who owns 300-plus pubs and restaurants, is willing to offer struggling tenants rent-free period of up to three weeks
To make it up to tenants who have been struggling since anti-government protests started in June, Zeman is offering up to three weeks of free rent.
“This year is likely to be the worst Halloween in terms of number of people attending the celebration as there is a protest march from Causeway Bay to Central,” Zeman told the South China Morning Post in a telephone interview.
According to police, some organisations have called on people on social media to gather in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay and march to Central. This could affect the plans of thousands of people who are likely to visit Lan Kwai Fong to celebrate Halloween.
Zeman turned Lan Kwai Fong, which is just five minutes from the Central office district, into a tourist hotspot in the 1980s. The teetotaller, who turned Lan Kwai Fong into an area with more than 300 bars and restaurants, launched its first Halloween celebration in 1986, which has since become an annual fixture with thousands of patrons.
This year may turn out to be different, as he expects some shops to close early in light of the planned protests, while some visitors may avoid going to Central.