The organisers of Shanghai Pride have unexpectedly announced that the event is suspending its work after 11 years, fueling concerns about a growing LGBTQ crackdown in China. “Shanghai Pride regrets to announce that we are cancelling all upcoming activities and taking a break from scheduling any future events,” the volunteer group said in a statement on its Facebook page on Thursday. The post was titled “the end of the rainbow.” The organisation did not give a reason as to why the decision was taken but in a separate statement, co-founder Charlene Liu ominously commented that it was “to protect the safety of all involved.” The shock development adds to concerns that the authorities are increasingly restricting LGBTQ visibility and events. “The public gets to see the visible and impactful aspects of what we do, but they can’t imagine the difficulties we face behind the scenes – I think Shanghai Pride is no exception,” one activist, who was fearful of being identified, told CNN.