The Rio de Janeiro police department has announced it stopped a planned bombing at a Lady Gaga concert over the weekend.
The U.S. singer performed for more than two million people at a free concert on Copacana Beach on Saturday night (local time).
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro (PCERJ) said an unnamed group sought to recruit teenagers to set off homemade explosives at the concert, targeting the LGBTQIA+ community.
A man and a 17-year-old boy have been arrested.
Operation
According to the Brazilian Government, police launched ‘Operation Fake Monster’ after a tipoff from the state of Rio de Janeiro’s cyber-safety authority.
The Government said police “dismantled” an online network, which “promoted the radicalisation of adolescents [and] the dissemination of hate crimes”.
More than a dozen raids were carried out around the country in the lead-up to the concert, which a government official said “prevent[ed] symbolic violence from migrating to reality”.
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Police allege the network planned to set off explosives at the concert “to hit the LGBTQIA+ public”.
“The plan was treated as a ‘collective challenge’, with the aim of gaining notoriety on social networks,” police said.
Gaga, who is openly bisexual, has been particularly popular in the LGBTQIA+ community throughout her career.
Lady Gaga
In a statement to U.S. media, Gaga’s team said they learned of the attempted bombing from news reports.
“Prior to and during the show, there were no known safety concerns, nor any communication from the police... regarding any potential risks. [We] worked closely with law enforcement... and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place,” a spokesperson said.
In a separate statement, Gaga thanked the attendees, but did not mention the incident.
