Police Arrest Suspects After Uncovering Attack Plot in Advance
Two Million Gather at Free Concert Held on the Beach
Brazilian police have arrested two individuals who attempted to carry out a bomb attack at a free concert by pop singer Lady Gaga.
According to local media outlet G1 and news agencies AP and AFP on the 4th (local time), Brazilian police arrested two people?a man and a teenage boy?on charges of attempting to detonate explosives at Lady Gaga's free concert held at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro the previous day. Police stated, "We have apprehended two individuals on charges of illegal possession of weapons and are currently investigating." Brazilian authorities reported that the suspects had recruited accomplices, including minors, and had planned to carry out the attack in an organized manner using homemade explosives and Molotov cocktails. The main suspect was apprehended in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Pop star Lady Gaga's concert was held on the 3rd (local time) at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by EPA Yonhap News
Police said, "The suspects posted hate speech and violent content online to recruit accomplices for the terrorist act," adding, "Most of those who viewed the content were teenagers, and children were also included." Authorities believe the suspects had planned to target Brazil's LGBTQ+ community. Lady Gaga and her songs are widely beloved within the LGBTQ+ community.
Regarding the incident, a spokesperson for Lady Gaga stated, "Lady Gaga and her team first learned about these allegations through media reports this morning," adding, "No safety issues were reported before or during the concert." The spokesperson further stated, "We did not receive any communication from police or authorities regarding any potential threats."
This Lady Gaga concert was made free to the public with financial support from the Rio de Janeiro local government. The Rio concert drew a massive crowd of over two million people.
After successfully completing the concert, Lady Gaga posted a message on Instagram thanking the audience, without mentioning the attempted terror attack. She wrote, "I cannot put into words the emotions I felt during last night's performance," and added, "Looking at the audience while singing at the beginning of the show was breathtakingly moving. I want you to know how grateful I am to have shared this historic moment with you."
In addition, Rio de Janeiro police announced via social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that they had arrested two drug dealers and detained one individual in possession of child pornography at the Lady Gaga concert venue.
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