Looks like the Austrian authorities have been busy dealing with a foiled terror plot targeting Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna. According to the interior minister, a third suspect, an 18-year-old Iraqi man, has been arrested in connection with the planned attack.
The main suspect is a 19-year-old Austrian guy with North Macedonian roots, named Beran A. Apparently, the third suspect was an associate of this Beran dude. The authorities believe the whole thing was inspired by ISIS and al-Qaida. During a raid on the main suspect’s home in Ternitz, south of Vienna, the cops found some sketchy stuff – bomb-making materials, chemical substances, and tech gadgets that suggested the plot was in the “advanced stages” and they were getting ready to put their plan into action.
One of the suspects even confessed that they were planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.” The concerts were supposed to go down on Thursday or Friday, but they ended up getting cancelled on Wednesday after the authorities caught wind of the scheme. Swifties devastated as authorities cancel sold-out shows in Vienna
Apparently, the Ernst Happel stadium was expecting 20,000 to 35,000 non-ticket holders to gather outside for each of the three sold-out shows. And up to 65,000 people were supposed to attend the concerts inside. That’s a whole lot of Swifties in one place – exactly the kind of target these terrorists had in mind.
The decision to cancel the shows left tons of fans, many of whom had traveled from all over the world, totally devastated. But the authorities stand by their call, even though the suspects have been arrested. As one official put it, “better safe than sorry,” right?
In the meantime, the Swifties in Vienna have been trying to make the best of a bad situation. There have been impromptu gatherings around the city, with fans singing Taylor’s songs and swapping homemade bracelets to console each other. They’ll get refunds for the tickets, but not for all the travel and hotel costs – that’s gotta sting for a lot of Swifties
