Taipei police raid gay bar, detaining 51, sparking LGBTQ protest

October 4, 2026 at 01:18 PM2 min

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Taipei police raided the Commander D gay bar in Wanhua district on Saturday, detaining 51 people and arresting the owner. Around 100 LGBTQ+ community members protested on Sunday, calling the raid violent and scary. The raid comes weeks before Taipei's Pride event, the largest in East Asia.

Key Facts

Taipei police raided the Commander D gay bar in Wanhua district on Saturday afternoon, taking 51 people in for questioning and arresting the owner.
Around 100 members of Taipei's LGBTQ+ community protested on Sunday, marching to the precinct police station.
Precinct spokesperson Chen Yu-cheng said police acted on a search warrant for suspected offences against public morality.
Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage in 2019, the first in Asia.
Taipei holds its main Pride event later this month, the largest in East Asia.

The Raid

Taipei police raided the Commander D gay bar in the city's Wanhua district on Saturday afternoon. They took 51 people in for questioning and arrested the bar's owner. Precinct spokesperson Chen Yu-cheng told Reuters police had acted on a search warrant for suspected offences against public morality. Chen said the 51 people were suspected of violating a law that prohibits wantonly exposing one's naked body or presenting a lascivious posture in a public place.

Protest Response

Around 100 members of Taipei's LGBTQ+ community protested on Sunday, marching peacefully but noisily to the precinct police station. One of those detained, identified only by his family name Wen, told Reuters, "They raided the place violently. It was very scary." The precinct chief, who did not give his name, came out to speak to protesters briefly. He said, "We respect the culture of a pluralistic society and will protect the rights of every citizen," as protesters shouted their disapproval. Protester Kang Yang said he was angry the raid had happened, particularly during Pride month, adding, "This city used to claim that it was queer friendly."

Context and Reactions

Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage in 2019 in a first for Asia and is normally a bastion of tolerance in a region where LGBTQ+ rights are often suppressed or outlawed. Taipei holds its main Pride event later this month, the largest in East Asia. The Taipei city government declined immediate comment. Mayor Chiang Wan-an from the main opposition party the Kuomintang, who faces an election next month, has previously attended Taipei Pride and expressed his support for the LGBTQ+ community.