A foiled terrorist plot targeting Taylor Swift's sold-out concerts in Vienna has prompted significant security overhauls for her upcoming performances at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Austrian authorities revealed Thursday that the two suspects in custody over the planned attack were inspired by extremist ideologies, namely the Islamic State group and al-Qaida, the Associated Press reported.
Investigations found that one of the suspects, a 19-year-old Austrian with North Macedonian roots, had been planning the attack since July. He had recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and expressed intentions to "kill as many people as possible" outside the concert venue.
The 19-year-old had accumulated bomb-making materials at his residence, and authorities discovered Islamic State and al-Qaida propaganda at the home of the second suspect, a 17-year-old Austrian of Turkish and Croatian descent. Both suspects were apprehended on Tuesday, with the 17-year-old refusing to cooperate with investigators.
The foiled plot led to the cancellation of three highly anticipated shows in Austria, originally scheduled for Thursday through Saturday. The Austrian government, under the leadership of Chancellor Karl Nehammer, made the difficult decision to cancel the concerts just a day before they were set to begin, citing the proximity of the arrests to the concert dates as a major factor.
"It’s inevitable that safety comes first," Nehammer stated during a news conference, expressing his understanding of the disappointment felt by fans, many of whom had traveled from around the world and invested thousands in attending the events.
The foiled attack, which Austrian authorities believe could have resulted in mass casualties, has cast a shadow over Swift's European tour. The suspects allegedly planned to strike on Thursday or Friday, targeting the crowds outside Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium, where up to 65,000 fans were expected to attend each show, with an additional 30,000 onlookers outside the venue.
The swift and decisive action by Austrian authorities, aided by intelligence from the United States, reportedly prevented a tragedy reminiscent of past concert attacks, such as the 2017 bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that claimed 22 lives. The Manchester attack has since become a grim reference point for concert security at major events across Europe.
As the Grammy-winning singer prepares for the next leg of her "The Eras" tour at London’s Wembley Stadium, starting on Aug. 15, concerns over security have understandably escalated. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, however, has assured fans that the concerts will proceed as planned, emphasizing that the city’s authorities are well-prepared to handle any potential threats.
"We’re going to carry on," Khan said in an interview with Sky News published Thursday, drawing a clear line between the situation in Vienna and the measures in place in London.
In response to the Vienna incident, Wembley Stadium has announced new safety protocols to be implemented not only for Swift’s concerts but for all major events throughout 2024.
According to information leaked on X, formerly Twitter, the security measures to be implemented include an increase in security personnel, the use of sniffer dogs to detect drugs and explosives and restrictions on the size of bags allowed inside the venue. The goal is reportedly to ensure that the venue remains a safe environment for all attendees, minimizing the risk of any dangerous incidents.
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