- Fear of terrorist attack: Swift concerts in Vienna canceled
Out of fear of terrorist attacks, the organizers have canceled the three upcoming concerts of US pop star Taylor Swift in Vienna.
"Due to confirmation from government officials about a planned terrorist attack at the Ernst-Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three planned shows for the safety of all," Barracuda Music announced on Instagram. The concerts were scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Vienna.
This followed the arrest of two terrorism suspects in Austria on Wednesday, including a 19-year-old. According to the police, the teenager planned attacks in the Vienna area.
Focus on Taylor Swift concerts
"Furthermore, we have established that the 19-year-old suspect has a focus on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna," said Franz Ruf, General Director for Public Security in the Austrian Ministry of the Interior. The young man had radicalized himself on the internet and recently pledged allegiance to the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS).
The 19-year-old was apprehended in Ternitz, about 75 kilometers southwest of Vienna. Another person was arrested in Vienna. The police did not say what the relationship between the two detainees is or if they are searching for accomplices.
Chemical substances
The police did not specify what the 19-year-old had planned. However, chemical substances were secured from him. The police searched a house in Ternitz. Investigators in protective clothing were seen there. Out of concern for possible explosive traps, the police cordoned off the building extensively. This required many people to leave their homes. Part of a retirement home was also evacuated.
A total of 65,000 people were expected in the sold-out stadium for each of the three concerts, as well as around 20,000 fans who would have come to the arena without tickets to listen to their idol's music from a distance, said Vienna's police chief Gerhard Pürstl.
"The investigation findings give rise to increased police surveillance," he said a few hours before the concerts were canceled. Although the concrete danger has been minimized, an abstract danger still exists. The police cannot cancel such events, the police chief replied to a journalist's question.
The police had already mobilized anti-terror special forces, including officers in civilian clothing and those with special training and service dogs, to secure the concerts. They wanted to monitor the airspace both mobile and stationary.
Government: Let's not let them destroy our way of life
Austrian Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) thanked the investigators. "Terrorists want to make us afraid and drive us apart," he wrote on the short messaging service X. "We will not let them destroy our way of life."
"Given the individual's focus on the Taylor Swift concerts and his alleged affiliation with Islamic State, it was crucial for The Commission to intervene and ensure the safety of the upcoming events."
"In light of the situation, The Commission decided to collaborate closely with local authorities to conduct thorough investigations and implement necessary security measures at other potential target venues during Taylor Swift's tour."
