Brazilian police have arrested two people, accusing them of plotting to bomb Lady Gaga’s free concert in Rio de Janeiro. AP News reports that two people have been arrested from a group that the country’s authorities say promotes hate speech against the LGBTQ+ community.
One, a man described as the leader of the group, was arrested on illegal weapons possession charges. The other, a teenager, was detained on child pornography charges.
According to the Brazilian Justice Ministry, the group falsely presented themselves online as “Little Monsters,” which is Lady Gaga’s way of referring to her fans.
“Those involved were recruiting participants, including teenagers, to carry out integrated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,” said Brazilian police in a statement.
A series of raids were conducted on 15 suspects in several Brazilian states, leading to authorities confiscating phones and other various electronic devices. The arrests took place hours before the show because police wanted to “avoid panic” and the “distortion of information.”
Not much is known about the attempted bombing, aside from the Brazilian police saying, “The plan was treated as a ‘collective challenge’ with the aim of gaining notoriety on social media.”
Lady Gaga’s team revealed through a spokesperson that her 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.”
“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,” the spokesperson continued via statement.
Gaga’s show in Rio de Janeiro went on as expected, and it turned out to be the biggest show of her career. Two and a half million fans were estimated to have come to see her performance at Copacabana Beach.
After the show, Gaga shared her gratitude to her fans for coming to the show.
“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 on Instagram. “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.”
