On Wednesday (August 7), Vienna officials disappointed Swifties, who planned to see Taylor Swift perform in Austria. Local law enforcement intervened in an alleged planned attack and ultimately canceled three sold-out shows out of safety concerns. The performances were part of the pop artist’s ‘Eras’ tour.
Now, Vienna officials are saying that the two suspects, ages 19 and 17, had terroristic inspiration. The 19-year-old is an Austrian with North Macedonian roots, and the 17-year-old is an Austrian with Turkish and Croatian roots. Local authorities arrested both on Tuesday (August 6) but kept their names under wraps due to Austrian privacy laws.
Vienna Officials Defend Canceling Taylor Swift’s Shows
According to the Associated Press, the Islamic State group and al-Qaida seemingly inspired the suspects in custody, Austrian officials said on Thursday (August 8). Investigators reportedly found bomb-making materials at one of their homes.
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Taylor Swift’s sold-out shows were set to happen in Austria’s pricey capital at the Ernst Happel Stadium. Concert organizers in Austria said they had expected up to 65,000 fans inside the stadium at each concert. Meanwhile, organizers planned for as many as 30,000 onlookers outside the venue.
Note that one of the two suspects confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.” Additionally, the suspects had planned the foiled attack for Thursday or Friday, per Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner. A third show was scheduled for Saturday.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer defended the decision to cancel the concerts. Nehammer argued that the arrests took place too close to the shows.
“I understand very well that those who wanted to experience the concert live are very sad,” Nehammer said at a news conference on Thursday. “Moms and dads are looking after their daughters and sons, who were full of enthusiasm and anticipation for this concert. But it’s also important that in such serious moments as now, it’s inevitable that safety comes first.”
More Details About The Foiled Terrorist Threat
Authorities said the main suspect confessed that he had started planning the attack in July. Just a few weeks ago, the 19-year-old uploaded an oath of allegiance to the current leader of the Islamic State group online.
Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, said the 19-year-old was “clearly radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels.”
Haijawi-Pirchner added that the suspect “wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using the knives or even using the explosive devices he had made.”
During a raid of the suspect’s home in Ternitz, south of Vienna, investigators found chemical substances and technical devices that indicated “concrete preparatory acts.”
Authorities said they also found Islamic State group and al-Qaida material at the home of the second suspect, who is 17. That suspect has so far refused to talk. However, just days ago, the 17-year-old secured employment with a company providing unspecified services at the concert venue. Neither suspect appeared to have a ticket to any of the shows, Haijawi-Pirchner said.
Meanwhile, Swifties had spent thousands of euros (dollars) on travel and lodging to attend the shows, but the stadium was empty on Thursday, per the AP.
A concert organizer said on Wednesday that all tickets will be refunded. Furthermore, Austrian rail operator OeBB agreed to reimburse fans for unused train tickets.
Taylor Swift has not spoken publicly about the plot or canceled shows. She is scheduled to perform five shows in London between August 15 and 20. As of this week, London Mayor Sadiq Khan revealed the city plans to “carry on” with its shows, adding that London is prepared for potential threats.
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Associated Press reporters Philipp-Moritz Jenne, Stefanie Dazio, and Kirsten Grieshaber contributed to this report.
