It was meant to be a stall providing information for young queer people in western Sydney, with an appearance by comedian and drag performer Carla from Bankstown. But the Wear It Purple event at Bankstown Central shopping centre in late August was shut down after a group of men began ripping down rainbow flags, spitting and hurling abuse. The attack on the pop-up stall in Bankstown is the latest in a series of anti-LGBTQ protests including organised disruption of drag story time events and incidents of homophobia and transphobia. A City of Canterbury Bankstown spokeswoman said the targeted attack on the stall was a hate crime.