2024-08-09 10:10:01
CNN
—
Police in Austria have questioned three teenagers suspected of plotting a suicide attack at a Taylor Swift show, sparking renewed concerns over the indoctrination of young people online.
Foreign intelligence agencies helped authorities uncover the alleged scheme, according to the country’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. A source familiar told CNN that the US issued a warning to authorities in Vienna.
Organizers canceled three concerts, which were scheduled to take place in the European capital from Thursday to Saturday. CNN has reached out to Swift’s representatives for comment.
Investigators unearthed a stockpile of chemicals, explosive devices, detonators and 21,000 euros in counterfeit cash at the home of the main suspect, a 19-year-old ISIS sympathizer who had been radicalized online, according to authorities.
The young man – who was arrested Wednesday morning in the eastern town of Ternitz – planned to kill himself and “a large number of people,” according to the head of the domestic intelligence agency, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner.
“He said he intended to carry out an attack using explosives and knives,” Haijawi-Pirchner told reporters in Vienna on Thursday. “His aim was to kill himself and a large number of people during the concert, either today or tomorrow.”
Two other suspects were detained, aged 17 and 15. The 17-year-old worked for a facilities company that would have provided services at the concert venue. He was near the stadium when he was arrested and had recently broken up with his girlfriend, according to Haijwai-Pirchner.
Little has been revealed about the 15-year-old. Prosecutors will decide later if he was a witness or directly involved in the alleged plot.
The three are all Austrian-born with either Turkish, North Macedonian or Croatian backgrounds.
The trio were in contact with other individuals who knew about the plan, said the country’s director general for public security, Franz Ruf. No one else is being sought in direct connection with the plot, Ruf added.
The cancellations of the Swift concert triggered an outpouring of heartbreak, grief and relief among Swifties hoping to attend the record-breaking Eras Tour in Vienna. Hailed as a cultural phenomenon, the scale, influence and intricacy of Swift’s musical voyage have made headlines for boosting the economies of the cities she visits.
The show-stopping tour began in Glendale, Arizona in March 2023, and has been extended several times. Vienna was scheduled to be the penultimate venue of the European leg, with Swift set to play five nights at London’s Wembley Stadium over the next two weeks, before moving on to Canada in November and December.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the city would “carry on” with the scheduled events, telling Sky News: “I’m sure Vienna has got its own reasons to cancel the Taylor Swift concerts, we’re going to carry on, working closely with police (and) ensuring that the Taylor Swift concerts can take place in London safely.”
A rush of excitement descended on the Austrian capital in the days leading up to the three-day fest, according to locals, with Swifties filling the cobbled streets and spontaneously breaking out into song.
Several fans who were planning to attend shows in Vienna told CNN they participated in a series of events Thursday that were staged in a community-led effort to rekindle the spirit and energy of the tour.
Footage has emerged of Swifties serenading each another at local squares in Vienna and trading personalized friendship bracelets – a concert tradition inspired by the lyrics on Swift’s song “You’re on Your Own, Kid” from her 10th studio album “Midnights.”
Julia Schnizlein, a pastor at the Lutheran City Church, told CNN that she bought tickets as a Christmas gift for her 14-year-old daughter, Leni, who was left heartbroken on Wednesday.
“We were really looking forward to the concert and have met a lot of fans over the last few days,” the 45-year-old said. “The whole city was full of happy, peaceful people exchanging bracelets and spontaneously singing together.”
Instead, the pastor opened the doors of her church to host a Swift-themed singalong for fans. Social media videos show people bopping their heads to melodies of some of the Grammy-winning artist’s greatest hits – including “Blank Space” and “Style” – as music blares from the speakers of the hall, illuminated by the glow of yellow candles.
“People were crying, holding hands, singing along softly,” said Kristi Hovington, 46, who wandered into the chapel after hearing tunes from the Eras Tour setlist. “It was such a beautiful moment, a pocket of beauty amidst the disappointment and anger.”
The school librarian journeyed from Barcelona, Spain, to attend the tour with her 14-year-old daughter, Esme, who had dreamed of seeing Swift live in concert. “She cried for an hour, at least; this was her dream, to see Taylor.”
Elsewhere in the capital, dozens of fans congregated at the Stephansplatz, a central square, to belt out an array of Swift songs. One participant, Elie Fares, said he was “devastated” for fans who had lost their chance to see the US pop star on tour.
“I just walked right over and basked in the camaraderie of it all, the way it exuded a lot of joie de vivre, a giant middle finger to all of those who wanted the squash that joy and instil fear,” added the 34-year-old physician, who has attended shows in the US and Europe.
“Swifties have shown time and time again that they are a formidable community among music fans,” he told CNN on Thursday. “In the grand scheme of what’s happening around the world today, we are all aware of where a concert cancellation falls, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be supportive of each other.”
