About 100 members of Taipei’s LGBTQ+ community protested Sunday after police raided a gay bar and detained its customers the previous day, Reuters reports.

Police entered Commander D in the city’s Wanhua district Saturday, took 51 patrons in for questioning and arrested the owner. A precinct spokesperson told Reuters that officers acted under a search warrant involving suspected offences against public morality.

Reuters could not reach the bar owner for comment.

Protest follows unusual police action

Protesters gathered outside the precinct and accused police of conducting a violent and intimidating operation. Organizers questioned the timing of the raid during the month of Taipei’s main Pride celebration.

Police said the patrons were suspected of violating a law restricting public nudity or sexualized conduct in publicly accessible places. The precinct said it respected the rights of LGBTQ+ people and would protect citizens’ rights.

Taiwan’s regional role

The raid is highly unusual in Taiwan, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2019 — the first jurisdiction in Asia to do so. Taipei also hosts East Asia’s largest Pride event.

The protest highlights tension between Taiwan’s reputation for LGBTQ+ protections and concern over how morality laws are enforced. The allegations against the bar owner have not been proven in court.

Source: Reuters, October 4.

Lead image: flag of Taiwan from Wikimedia Commons; not a photograph of the raid or protest.