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A Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this weekend nearly ended in tragedy.
On Saturday, the pop singer performed in front of a record crowd of approximately two million people at Copacabana Beach.
The event was the biggest concert of Lady Gaga’s career… but local authorities have now told various outlets that two people were arrested prior to the concert due to an alleged attack they had planned.
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro state, working in coordination with the Justice Ministry, said the plot was orchestrated by a group promoting hate speech and the radicalization of teenagers… including self-harm and violent content as a form of social belonging.
“The suspects were recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,” the police said in a statement.
The Justice Ministry said the recruiters identified themselves as members of Lady Gaga’s global fan base, known as the “Little Monsters.”
The operation was based on a report by the ministry’s Cyber Operations Lab following a tip-off from Rio state police intelligence, which uncovered digital cells encouraging violent behavior among teenagers using coded language and extremist symbolism.
Not many further details are available at this time.
Police said said nothing about the alleged plot at the time in advance to the concert in to in an effort to “avoid panic” and “the distortion of information.”
On Sunday, a spokesperson for Lady Gaga said the artist and her team “learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning.
“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 message continued:
“Her 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.”
Due to the massive attendance at the concert, sources have indicated that around 5,200 military and police officers were deployed to the beach where fans were reveling in the superstar’s classic array of hits.
Rio de Janeiro’s state police claims the alleged attackers had planned to detonate homemade explosive devices at the event.
“The plan was treated as a ‘collective challenge’ with the aim of gaining notoriety on social media,” the police said.
A man described as the group’s leader was arrested in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of a firearm, while a teenager in Rio de Janeiro was detained for storing child pornography.
“Those involved were recruiting participants, including teenagers, to carry out integrated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,” local cops also said.
Previously, Lady Gaga had expressed gratitude for the gigantic crowd in an Instagram post that said nothing of the alleged plot.
“Nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night’s show – the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil,” she wrote.
“The sight of the crowd during my opening songs took my breath away. Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you.”
Back in 2022, an explosion at an Ariana Grande concert killed 22 attendees.
