THETo the Brazilian police he foiled a dynamite attack that could have transformed the Free concert by Lady Gagaheld on May 3rd On the beach of Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, in a bloodbath. Over 2.5 million fans crowded the famous beach for the largest show of the pop star’s career, unaware of the neutralized danger in the“Fake Monster” operation.
“The suspects recruited participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov,” said the Civil Police of Rio in one official note. The plan, orchestrated by a group that promoted hatred against the LGBTQ+ communityaimed to hit the event to obtain visibility on social media.
Lady Gaga, concert in Rio: do you have an attack?
“They were clearly intent on hitting the Lady Gaga concert for reasons related to sexual orientation“Explained Felipe Curry, secretary of the Rio police, during a press conference. Luiz Lima, police chief, added that The group spread violent content online and hatred speeches “to attract more spectators and more participants in the attackmany of which teenagers and even children ». The Ministry of Justice denounced the group for pretending part of the “Little Monsters”, the nickname of Gaga fans, in order to recruit young people in goals of extremist content.
Three arrests and searches throughout Brazil
Lady Gaga at the ‘Joker’ Premiere: Folie a Deux ‘in Los Angeles – September 30, 2024 (IPA)
The investigations led toarrest of three people. A man, described as the leader of the group, was stopped in Rio Grande do on the illegal for firearm. A teenager in Rio, on the other hand, was accused of detention of child pornography material. A third person seems to have been arrested in Macaé, another city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, as part of the investigations, said the police. The suspect would have threatened to kill a child on live radio And he is accused of terrorism and instigation to crime. In addition, one of the suspects searched to Macaé would have acted for “religious motivations”, accusing Lady Gaga of being a “Satanist”, according to what is reported by Curry.
The “Fake Monster” operation led to searches in the houses of 15 suspected in different Brazilian citieswith the seizure of phones and electronic devices for further analyzes. Although there have been no explosive, the authorities suspect that the plan provided for the use of craft bombs. The police acted with discretion to “avoid panic” and the “distortion of information”, ensuring that the concert took place without hitches, explained the spokesperson at the press conference.
Security in Copacabana
Despite the threat, in fact, The event took place regularly, was protected by an imposing security device with 5,200 agents, drones and facial recognition cameras. A spokesman for Lady Gaga confirmed: “Before and during the show, there were no worries known for the safety, nor communications by the police regarding potential risks”. The decision not to spread the threat before the concert allowed fans to enjoy the show without fear.
Some raised doubts about the severity of the threat, noting that similar events, such as the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna in 2024, have been deleted for well -made security concerns. However, the police reiterated the credibility of the threats and the solidity of the measures adopted, which allowed to neutralize the risk without compromising the event.
Lady Gaga, symbol of inclusiveness
On stage, Lady Gaga has transformed Copacabana into a hymn to inclusion, with songs like Born This Waya symbol of emancipation for the LGBTQ+ community since 2011. “Nothing could have prepared for the emotion that I tried during the show last night,” he wrote on Instagram.
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