Two arrested for planning a bomb attack at a Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro
The American singer's mega-concert also took place on Copacabana Beach, with two million attendees.
BarcelonaBrazilian authorities have arrested two suspects, one of them a teenager, as part of an operation against a group allegedly planning a bomb attack during Lady Gaga's massive concert in Rio de Janeiro, which took place on Saturday on Copacabana Beach. The show was able to take place normally, albeit with heavy security measures mobilizing some 5,000 officers. The concert, which was free, lasted about two hours and was attended by an estimated 2.1 million people, a record high.
According to the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police, the two detainees planned to carry out an attack during the concert using homemade explosives to gain "notoriety on social media." The police operation, which had the support of the Ministry of Justice and local police forces in other involved states, thwarted their plan before they could carry it out.
The suspect responsible for preparing the attack was caught red-handed in the state of Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of firearms. The other suspect, a teenager, was detained in Rio de Janeiro. The two suspects recruited people online to "promote attacks using improvised explosives." They also spread hate speech against the LGBTI population online, and one of them was found to be in possession of files containing child pornography.
According to a police statement, "the suspects recruited participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails." The Ministry of Justice reported that the recruiters identified themselves as members of the global Lady Gaga fan group, known as Little Monsters.
Historic Concert
Lady Gaga's concert in Rio de Janeiro was a highly anticipated event in the Brazilian city. In 2017, the American artist had to cancel a performance at Rock in Rio due to health issues. Almost a decade later, the singer returned to Rio to offer a free mega-concert at the Copacabana Arena, as part of a city council initiative to bring an international star to the city each year. In fact, the concert was funded by Rio's city council with the aim of revitalizing the city's economy, hoping it could generate around $100 million. Gaga landed in Rio to present her new album, MayhemIt was the third stop on their new tour, following the acclaimed debut at the Coachella festival and two sold-out concerts in Mexico City.
In addition to the 5,000 officers deployed to ensure the safety of attendees and the artist, the operation also included 78 observation towers, drones with facial recognition technology, and a dozen additional security cameras.