Three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna were canceled after Austrian authorities said Wednesday that two suspects had been arrested in connection with planning an attack in the city.
American singer Taylor Swift was scheduled to play three concerts in Vienna – from Thursday, August 8 to Saturday, August 10. According to Barracuda Music, the organizer of Swift's concerts in Austriathese dates were canceled, the American news channel CNN reported.
“We have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled concerts for the safety of everyone,” the organizer wrote on his Instagram channel.
Arrests in connection with a planned terrorist attack
Earlier, the agencies reported the arrest of two people suspected of terrorism, one of whom was planning an attack on events taking place in the Vienna area.
The 19-year-old main suspect was arrested in Ternitz, the second in the Austrian capital. Franz Ruf, director of public security at the Austrian interior ministry, said authorities were aware of “preparatory measures” for a possible attack and that the detained 19-year-old was “focusing on Taylor Swift's performances in Vienna,” the Austrian Press Agency reported.
Ruf added that the 19-year-old had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, a Sunni extremist terrorist organization. The Austrian citizen is believed to have been radicalized online. Chemical substances were seized during the investigation and are currently being tested.
Main image source: Lennart Preiss/PAP/DPA