Harry Styles groped onstage

Harry Styles' fans have been left disgusted after an overzealous concert-goer appeared to grope the pop star onstage in Los Angeles on Saturday night (21Oct17).

The One Direction singer was performing his song Kiwi at the Hollywood Bowl as part of the We Can Survive concert for breast cancer awareness when he dropped down to his knees at the front of the stage.

In video footage posted online, an audience member's hand can be seen reaching out and grabbing at his crotch, prompting a shocked Harry to jump back on his feet and press on with the show.

"He very quickly got up and appeared to also shove their hand a little bit to remove them faster," an eyewitness recalled to Yahoo! Celebrity U.K. "You can tell it freaked him out a little because as he continued performing, he avoided the section that fan was standing in."

Harry has yet to comment on the incident, but his devotees have taken to social media to chastise the opportunistic fan for what they have deemed sexual assault, and express their support for the Sign of the Times hitmaker by turning the hashtag #RespectHarry into a trending topic on Twitter.

"If you grab someone's d**k without their consent, it's sexual assault," one user wrote. "Just because Harry's a male doesn't mean he doesn't have the same right as women. You must be absolutely disgusting if you think him kneeling in front of you calls for that. I'm disgusted. #respectharry."

"WTF (what the f**k)!!! When your favorite artist is close to you, this does not justify you touching him in this way. #RespectHarry," posted another, while a fellow fan remarked, "I'm in tears. Harry has created such a safe space for everyone, and this is how he's repaid? Sexual assault...? #RespectHarry."

The incident comes amid a wave of condemnation for sexual predators in Hollywood and other industries, following the New York Times and New Yorker exposes on movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's alleged bad behavior. He stands accused of sexually harassing and assaulting more than 40 women over the past 30 years, with his alleged victims including Ashley Judd, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kate Beckinsale.