Three Taylor Swift concerts have been cancelled after two men were arrested over an alleged terror plot said to be targeting the events.
Swift was due to play at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
But event organiser Barracuda Music said in an Instagram post on Wednesday that “we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety” after “confirmation of [the] planned terrorist attack.”.
It would appear that the cancellation is also reflected on the popstar’s main website.
The events that are scheduled to take place in the capital of Austria now have a remark that can be found under the “tour” page. This note states that “all tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.”
Several individuals, including two men, have been taken into custody in connection with the alleged terrorist conspiracy that, according to the police, intended to attack significant events in Vienna, including the impending Swift concerts.
It has been reported by authorities from the United States government who are familiar with the investigation, as well as a partner in the United States, say that Austrian law enforcement is still looking for more suspects or individuals who may have knowledge of the alleged conspiracy.
In addition, the officials stated that the suspects had been under surveillance for a considerable amount of time and were well known to the authorities in Austria.
The director of the Vienna state police, Franz Ruf, stated that one of the guys who was taken into custody was a 19-year-old individual who had professed his loyalty to the terrorist organization known as IS.
“During our investigations, we identified preparatory actions and noted that the 19-year-old suspect had a particular focus on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna,” Mr. Ruf explained to reporters.
Both of his arrests occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with the first one taking place in Vienna and the second one taking place later in the day.
Both of the males, according to the police, had gotten radicalized online.
According to the allegations, they had explicit and comprehensive plans to carry out the attacks on the performances, which were anticipated to attract crowds of up to 65,000 people each day.
As the Austrian citizen, who was 19 years old at the time of his arrest, was being held in Ternitz, Lower Austria, law enforcement agents discovered chemical substances that are currently being studied as potential components of a bomb.
Despite the fact that it was speculated that he would not have been able to acquire all of the components required for a bomb prior to the events that occurred over the weekend, the Austrian police made the decision to take both of them into jail in order to prevent them from carrying out an attack by any other methods.
According to NBC News, immediately following the announcement of a comprehensive security plan for the concerts, Swift’s team stated that the events would be canceled.
In addition, the publication stated that there was no specific plot against Swift herself but rather that the attack was directed at the general audience.t.
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Karl Nehammer, the Chancellor of Austria, referred to the cancellation as a “bitter disappointment,” but he also stated that a “tragedy [had] been prevented.”
Although he acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the alleged conspiracy had been “very serious,” he expressed gratitude to the authorities for their prompt action.
During the arrests, the elite Cobra squad of Austria gave support to the authorities.
The police stated that there were no plans to cancel the concerts at the beginning of the situation; however, this altered later on.
Only a few hours after the Austrian authorities had announced the implementation of enhanced safety precautions for the concerts, the cancellation was announced.
Mr. Ruf stated that there would be a higher presence of law enforcement and a particular emphasis placed on entry inspections, among other possibilities.
At the same time, the chief of police in Vienna, Gerhard Purstl, stated that although any tangible danger had been reduced, an abstract risk warranted increasing the level of protection.