AUSTRIA has cancelled three Taylor Swift concerts this week after authorities detained three teenagers, including a 19-year-old who allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State militant group, over a planned attack, the government said.
Reuters reports that the 19-year-old, who has North Macedonian roots, was found to have chemical substances and technical devices at his home, indicating “concrete preparatory actions,” said Frankz Ruf, Austria’s general director for public security.
The suspect had sworn allegiance to Islamic State’s leader, Ruf told ORF radio, citing internet evidence. Two other teenagers, aged 17 and 15, were also detained.
According to Reuters, the planned attack echoed a foiled plot by three Islamic State-linked suspects against Vienna’s gay pride parade last year, illustrating the risks facing large gatherings.
Austria’s interior ministry and intelligence service did not immediately respond to requests for comment on a report by the Kurier newspaper that the suspect had stolen chemicals from his former workplace and planned to drive a car into the crowd, Reuters reported.
The Taylor Swift concerts, which were expected to draw 195,000 people, were part of the singer’s record-breaking Eras Tour, which began in March 2023 and is set to conclude in December 2024.
Swift, 34, has not yet commented on the cancellations on her official Instagram account, which has 283 million followers. Fans expressed disappointment but said they understood the decision was for safety reasons.
?? Breaking
— Xnews_with_Grok (@Xnews_with_grok) August 7, 2024
Taylor Swift's concert in Vienna has been cancelled due to attack threats
??It seems like a couple of wannabe bad guys with a penchant for extremism and some questionable internet browsing habits decided to make things interesting for the Austrian authorities.… pic.twitter.com/dWadBGjlmY
