On September 12,  Audience members were forcibly removed by security for waving pride flags during a Dua Lipa concert in Shanghai.

Social media has been flooded with dramatic videos showing the violent actions of security toward certain fans: harshly grabbing seated fans and kicking them outside of the venue. Most witnesses say that the targets for these outrages were fans waving pride flags.       

During the concert Dua calmly addressed the issue.“ I want to create a really safe environment for us all to have fun, I want us all to just have a really good time.”

She later tweeted out, “I will stand by you all for your love and beliefs and I am proud and grateful that you felt safe enough to show your pride at my show.”

Although China legalized homosexuality in 1997, it was still classified as a mental illness until 2001. In 2016, China had banned the showing of gay characters on television.

According to the Qingpu police, the two security guards involved in the Dua Lipa incident have been given a ten day detention. The police has ordered the security company to take measures to prevent this incident from happening again.