The Shanghai municipal government rules that the Malu Town studio has been built without the proper permits and orders its demolition. Ai Weiwei goes online to urge the public to attend a party on 7 November, the day the studio is scheduled for demolition.

On 5 November 2010 Ai Weiwei is placed under house arrest in Beijing in order to prevent him from going to the party.

On 7 November 2010 the 800 guests eat river crabs, or he xie in Chinese, which sounds similar to the word for “harmony”, a government slogan that has taken on the meaning of “censorship” in the language of Internet.