California festivals HARD Day of the Dead and Escape: Psycho Circus resulted in almost 500 arrests this Halloween weekend. 

After two young women tragically died at August’s HARD Summer Rave, the weekend’s event locations were under intense inspection. As a result of this, 148 people were arrested on Day 1 of the HARD festival and 162 on Day 2, according to the Los Angeles Times. At Escape, 180 people were arrested over the course of the two days. The majority of the arrests were due to drug use, public intoxication, fake identification, and even some trespassing.

No wonder the festivals tried to impose a media blackout throughout the weekend. 

[Los Angeles Times, Photo: Patrick T. Fallon]