10 months ago
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VIENNA (AP) — Following the cancellation of 3 Taylor Swift concerts successful Vienna implicit an evident onslaught plot, Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said Thursday successful Vienna that “the concern was serious, the concern is serious. But we tin besides say: A calamity was prevented.”
The cancellations of 3 sold-out concerts this week devastated Swifties crossed the globe, galore of whom had dropped thousands of euros connected question and lodging successful Austria’s costly superior metropolis for the sold-out Eras Tour shows connected Thursday, Friday and Saturday astatine the Ernst Happel Stadium, which sat bare Thursday greeting speech from media filming outside.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier communicative follows below.
VIENNA (AP) — Three Taylor Swift concerts this week successful Vienna person been canceled pursuing arrests implicit an evident crippled to motorboat an onslaught successful the area, perchance astatine the stadium itself, and astatine slightest 1 of the suspects has been linked to the Islamic State group.
Chemical substances and method devices were recovered astatine the location of that suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian, according to Franz Ruf, the nationalist information manager astatine Austria’s Interior Ministry.
In an interrogation Thursday with nationalist broadcaster ORF’s Oe1 program, Ruf said investigators are evaluating the grounds seized from the suspect's home. Just a fewer weeks ago, the 19-year-old had uploaded an oath of allegiance to the existent person of the Islamic State radical militia to an net account, Ruf added.
A 2nd idiosyncratic was arrested successful the Austrian capital. Several Austrian media reported Thursday that further suspects were being sought — thing constabulary did not officially confirm.
The cancellations devastated Swifties crossed the globe, galore of whom had dropped thousands of euros connected question and lodging successful Austria’s costly superior metropolis for the sold-out Eras Tour shows connected Thursday, Friday and Saturday astatine the Ernst Happel Stadium, which sat bare Thursday greeting speech from media filming outside.
Europe is enamored by the American superstar, with the German municipality of Gelsenkirchen renaming itself “Swiftkirchen” earlier its mid-July concerts.
Austria’s Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler wrote connected societal level X: “For many, a imagination has been shattered today. On 3 evenings successful Vienna, tens of thousands of #Swifties should person celebrated beingness together.”
“I americium precise atrocious that you were denied this. Swifties instrumentality together, hatred and panic can’t destruct that,” Kogler wrote precocious Wednesday.
Ruf said authorities were alert of “preparatory actions” for a imaginable onslaught “and besides that determination is simply a absorption by the 19-year-old perpetrator connected the Taylor Swift concerts successful Vienna,” the Austria Press Agency reported.
The Austrian national is believed to person go radicalized connected the internet. Ruf didn’t springiness much details, specified arsenic the suspects' names, successful enactment with Austrian privateness law.
Event organizer Barracuda Music said successful an Instagram station precocious Wednesday that “we person nary prime but to cancel the 3 scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.” It cited authorities officials' confirmation of a planned onslaught astatine the stadium.
The cancellation came hours aft authorities said information measures for the Swift concerts would beryllium stepped up. Ruf antecedently said that determination would beryllium a peculiar absorption among different things connected introduction checks, and concertgoers should program a spot much time.
Vienna Police Chief Gerhard Pürstl said astatine the aforesaid clip that, portion immoderate factual information had been minimized, an abstract hazard justified raising security.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer posted connected X that “the cancellation of the Taylor Swift concerts by the organizers is simply a bitter disappointment for each fans successful Austria.”
“The concern surrounding the seemingly planned panic onslaught successful Vienna was precise serious,” helium wrote. But helium added that, acknowledgment to intensive practice betwixt constabulary and Austrian and overseas intelligence, “the menace could beryllium recognized aboriginal on, tackled and a calamity prevented.”
Barracuda Music said that “all tickets volition beryllium automatically refunded wrong the adjacent 10 concern days.” The aforesaid wording was posted nether the Vienna dates connected Swift's authoritative website.
The Vienna stadium had been sold retired for the planned concerts, APA reported, with an estimated 170,000 fans expected for the concerts successful Austria.
Some who posted connected X lamented months of now-wasted efforts to marque relationship bracelets and prime retired fashionable outfits for the performance.
The cancellations came much than a week aft a stabbing onslaught successful the northwest England seaside municipality of Southport during a Taylor Swift-themed summertime vacation creation and yoga class. The unit near 3 girls dormant and 10 others injured. A 17-year-old has been charged with murder.
In 2017, an onslaught astatine an Ariana Grande performance successful Manchester, England, killed 22 people. Suicide bomber Salman Abedi acceptable up a knapsack weaponry successful Manchester Arena astatine the extremity of Grande’s performance arsenic thousands of young fans were leaving. More than 100 radical were injured. Abedi died successful the explosion.
An authoritative enquiry reported successful 2023 that Britain’s home quality agency, MI5, didn’t enactment swiftly capable connected cardinal accusation and missed a important accidental to forestall the bombing, the deadliest extremist onslaught successful the United Kingdom successful caller years.
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Dazio reported from Berlin. Associated Press writers Geir Moulson and Kirsten Grieshaber successful Berlin, and Jan M. Olsen successful Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this report.
