Police arrested two people after they foiled a planned bombing at a Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday night.
According to Brazilian police, the scheme was coordinated by a group that promotes hate speech and young radicalisation.
According to investigators, the suspects were targeting LGBTQ+ people at Gaga’s record-breaking Copacabana Beach event, which drew over 2 million people.
“They were clearly saying that they were planning an attack at Lady Gaga’s concert motivated by sexual orientation,” Felipe Cury, secretary of the Rio police, told a press conference on Sunday.
Police said nothing about the alleged plot at the time to “avoid panic” and “the distortion of information.”
Security was stringent at Saturday’s concert, with 5,200 military and police officers deployed to the beach where fans were enjoying the pop singer’s classic hits, including ‘Born This Way,’ which became an anthem for the LGBTQ community after its release in 2011.
Meanwhile, Lady Gaga’s team has reacted to the planned attack, saying it found out about it via media reports.
A spokesperson for the team said “prior to and during the show, there were no known safety concerns, nor any communication from the police or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risks.”
The spokesperson added that the “team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place.”