‘Woke generation’ threatening Halloween celebration

Community members in Sydney’s inner west are divided on one home’s Halloween decorations, with one member of the community refuses to walk by display — but not everyone is sympathetic.

Perry Ferro should don a knight in shining armour costume on Halloween, after coming to the defence of a neighbour who faced backlash after transforming their Sydney home into a ‘spook-tacular’ display, featuring a massive spider and web.

The 48-year old Russell Lea man accused neighbours complaining about the hair-raising decorations as being part of the “woke generation”.

It comes after a concerned Facebook user and neighbour took to the social media platform to complain that decorations were limiting where she could walk in the lead up to October 31, asking her neighbours to “please consider us arachnophobes and this Halloween do not put fakes spiders near front fences or on gates”.

The woman hit out at the “20 foot spider” on the rood of the Hampden Rd house.

“It’s already limiting where I can walk,” she said.

The Five Dock home with a giant spider on the roof. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“(If you complain about the spider) I think maybe you got more problems than what that spider is,” Mr Ferro said.

“This is arachnophobia, whatever it’s called, a fear of spiders. Okay, if that spider was real, I’d be scared of that spider. But that spider is plastic.”

Mr Ferro, who’s mother lives near the heavily decorated house, has urged community members to look at the house for what it is, a Halloween celebration.

Neighbour Perry Ferro happily defends the decorations. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

He reminded his neighbours the owners of the house aren’t decorating for themselves.

“People have to go back to their youth where they never thought of anything, and they just enjoyed their life. There’s too much social media, there’s too much opinions,” he said.

Some of the social media debate about the fear-inducing spider.

“They spend so much time getting up there, risking injury and to do it for what? For themselves. They’re doing it for the community. So enjoy what people are doing for you.”

Canada Bay Mayor Michael Megna told The Saturday Telegraph that while he wants all residents to feel comfortable, his council can’t “police” how people choose to celebrate.

He highlighted that there was always two sides to these disputes.

An unbothered neighbour walks past the house. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“We understand that people have arachnophobia, but there are a number of people with all different fears,” Mr Megna said.

“Some people are scared or upset by lights, are we going to ask them to not decorate for Christmas?

“We have to be mindful we don’t put a damper on Halloween or holidays as we will end up restricting people on everything.”

Glad his community is investing into Halloween and it’s celebrations, Mr Megna is hoping the current dispute is used as a lesson when decorating for next year.

“Now that people of the community know that others are uncomfortable by these decorations, maybe they will choose to keep the spiders in the basement,” he said.

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