Brazilian police reported they thwarted a planned bomb attack during a Lady Gaga concert that supposedly targeted children and members of the LGBTQ community.
In a statement, Rio de Janeiro Civil Police revealed that the group behind the bomb plot wanted to spread hate speech. They allegedly prepared to target children but were thwarted by a police operation known as "Operation Fake Monster."
Lady Gaga Concert Bomb Plot
The artist's concert was estimated to have drawn more than 2 million fans, which could have been at risk because of the bomb plot. Officials allege that teenagers were recruited by the attackers to use improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails at the concert.
This was supposedly done with the hope that the group would become notorious on social media platforms. Authorities were able to arrest the believed leader of the group on suspicion of illegal possession of a firearm. The individual was located hundreds of miles away in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, according to UPI.
Law enforcement officials said that they also arrested a teenager in Rio de Janeiro for storing child pornography. They added that the targets of the police operation were operating on digital platforms, and promoted the radicalization of adolescents, among others.
Authorities added that the official operation was initiated by the intelligence gathering division of the Civil Police. This was after they discovered online messages that used coded language and extremist symbolism.
The suspects who were arrested posed as "Little Monsters," which is what Lady Gaga's fans call themselves. Authorities issued 15 search and seizure warrants against nine targets across Brazil, CNN reported.
One of the targets that was searched involved a man who reportedly planned to kill a child or a baby during Lady Gaga's concert. He claimed that the artist was a Satanist and he simply wanted to "respond in the same way."
Targeting Kids and the LGBTQ Community
Two others were born from coordinated efforts with the U.S. Consulate, which issued warnings to Brazilian authorities about potential threats. A spokesperson for the artist said that before Lady Gaga's concert, there were no "known safety concerns."
Lady Gaga's concert was paid for by the city as officials tried to revitalize Rio de Janeiro's economy, expecting it could bring in roughly $100 million. The security operation that thwarted the bomb plot involved 5,000 officers.
The situation comes as the last time the artist performed in Brazil was in 2012, which she did as part of a tour to promote her eighth album, Mayhem. At the time, Lady Gaga was seen wearing Brazil-themed costumes at some point, with others being inspired by the national football team, as per BBC.
