20.10.2026 07:10
A person in the US who hung corpse-like mannequins in their yard for Halloween caused an uproar in the neighborhood. While residents, stating that the mannequins hanging from trees recalled past lynchings of Black people, demanded that the decorations be removed, the homeowner did not back down. Municipal authorities also intervened, but because there was no legal obstacle, the decorations could not be interfered with.
In the US state of Pennsylvania, corpse-like decorations hung in the yard of a homeowner preparing for Halloween sparked debate. The human-body-shaped dummies wrapped in black bags and suspended from tree branches drew backlash for recalling past lynchings of Black people in the country. While calls were made for the decorations to be removed, the homeowner did not back down.
THE DECORATIONS HUNG FROM TREES DIVIDED THE NEIGHBORHOOD
A person living in the town of Bristol in Pennsylvania's Bucks County decorated their yard with horror-themed decorations ahead of Halloween, celebrated on October 31. However, the five human-body-shaped dummies hung from a tree in the yard drew the reaction of neighborhood residents.
The dummies, wrapped in black bags and covered with tape and suspended from tree branches, were viewed by some citizens as a symbol of racist violence carried out against Black people in the past.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS, DON'T YOU SEE?"
Roshea Newkirk, one of the neighborhood residents, could not hide her shock at the sight. Reacting to the homeowner who prepared the decorations, Newkirk said, "I look at this and think to myself, don't you see that this is wrong?"
After the backlash, the Bucks County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which advocates for the rights of Black people in the US, also took action. The organization stated that the corpse-like dummies hanging from trees carry a painful meaning because of the US's history of racist lynchings and demanded that they be removed.
THE HOMEOWNER DID NOT BACK DOWN
The homeowner at the center of the debate argued that he had purchased the decorations online as a ready-made set and had no intention of upsetting anyone.
Stating that Halloween is celebrated with horror-themed decorations, the homeowner refused to remove the dummies despite the backlash.
THE MUNICIPALITY STEPPED IN BUT COULD NOT GET A RESULT
The debate growing in the neighborhood was also brought onto the agenda of the Bristol Borough Council. Following complaints, officials met with the homeowner and tried to persuade him to remove the decorations.
However, no result was obtained from the talks. Municipal officials announced that there was no local regulation banning the decorations in question and that they therefore could not force the homeowner to remove them.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS SPLIT IN TWO
While the decorations drew the reaction of some neighborhood residents, others argued that the incident was blown out of proportion.
Mike Wade, one of the neighborhood residents, stated that scary decorations are common at Halloween and said that he also used skeletons and corpse dummies at his own home. Wade said that the images in question merely reflected the horror theme of the holiday.
"THIS IS NOT ABOUT RESTRICTING FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION"
NAACP, meanwhile, emphasized that the debate was not about preventing Halloween celebrations. The organization, recalling that in US history Black people were killed by being hanged from trees, left deep social wounds, stated that such images cannot be evaluated independently of their historical context.
Despite calls to the authorities and the homeowner, it was reported that the controversial decorations remained in place as of the weekend. The incident reopened debate over the boundaries between freedom of expression and social sensitivity in Halloween decorations.