Taipei mayor defends city's inclusivity after gay bar raid sparks protests

Chiang, who faces reelection next month, said he deeply regretted "improper conduct" by police. Taiwan legalized 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.

Taipei police raided the Commander D bar in the city's main gay neighbourhood of Ximen on Saturday afternoon, citing a complaint alleging the bar could be violating public decency laws. They took 51 people in for questioning and arrested the owner. Police said on Sunday they had taken disciplinary action against officers for "inappropriate conduct" during the operation, without elaborating.

Chiang, who has previously attended Taipei Pride, said regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, identity, ethnicity or beliefs, the government must ensure everyone in Taipei enjoys equal rights. "Taipei has always been an inclusive and friendly city for us," he said.

Chiang, of the opposition Kuomintang, is locked in a tight election race against Puma Shen of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. Shen said in a Facebook post on Monday that while any illegality should be handled according to the law, people's rights and dignity should be respected. "Taipei's diversity and inclusivity should not only be visible on Pride parade day," he wrote.

The Commander D raid was one of three operations on Saturday involving Ximen gay bars, police precinct spokesperson Chen Yu-cheng told Reuters. Police had in the past conducted "irregular inspections" of the three venues, he said. Chen added that the precinct inspected 15 entertainment venues on Saturday.

Rights groups say there is a deeper problem. "This was not a case of individual officers misspeaking or a single instance of excessive enforcement, but the resurfacing of long-standing homophobia, discrimination and abuse of power within the police enforcement system," the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights said in a joint statement with other groups condemning the raid.

One person among the 51 taken in for questioning said they had been detained for more than six hours after police accused them of violating a law that prohibits "wantonly exposing one's naked body or presenting a lascivious posture in a public place." The person, who requested anonymity, said they had removed their shirt only shortly before police arrived because the bar was crowded and hot. "I trusted the police to know the law," the person said. "So when they told me I had broken the law by not wearing a shirt in a public place and had to pay a fine, I did not challenge them." Lead investigator Chen Yi-kai told Reuters shirtless people were taken in because officers had found evidence of sexual or obscene conduct but could not immediately determine who was involved, adding that police were inclined not to fine the 51 people.