(Photo Credits: Fred Duval From Shutterstock)
Brazilian authorities say they foiled an attempted bombing planned for Lady Gaga’s free concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach. Police arrested two suspects – an adult man and a teenage boy – in connection with the plot, which officials believe was intended to target Brazil’s LGBTQ+ community. Lady Gaga had performed on Saturday night in front of an estimated 2.5 million fans dubbed Little Monsters. Rio police Secretary Felipe Cury told reporters the attackers were “clearly” planning an assault “motivated by sexual orientation,” and that they were spreading violent, hate-filled messages online.
Police described the scheme as a coordinated campaign to radicalize youths via the internet. In an operation codenamed Fake Monster, agents said the suspects were recruiting teenagers online to join their cause. They even posed as Lady Gaga’s fan base – calling themselves Little Monsters to lure young people into extremist chat groups. The plotters reportedly planned to use improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails at the concert, treating it as a “collective challenge” to gain notoriety on social media. The police said, “Those involved were recruiting participants, including teenagers, to carry out integrated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails.”
- The Rio Civil Police said the alleged ringleader was arrested in Rio Grande do Sul for illegal firearm possession, and a teenage accomplice was detained in Rio de Janeiro on unrelated charges.
- Authorities carried out searches across four states namely Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso). Phones and computers were seized for analysis. Police noted that no explosives or weapons were actually found in the raids.
- Officials emphasized that security was already very tight for the Copacabana show. Some 5,200 military and police officers were deployed to guard the free concert, which proceeded without disruption. Authorities kept the plot secret during the event to avoid panic among the massive crowd.
Lady Gaga’s Copacabana concert was a record-breaking free event, her first in Brazil in 13 years. Over 2 million fans – many of them LGBT+ – turned the beach into “Gagacabana,” smashing the previous attendance record. The pop star, long recognized as an LGBTQ+ icon, played hits like Poker Face, Bad Romance, Disease, Abracadabra, and Born This Way, a 2011 track celebrated as an anthem of queer pride. Her manager later clarified, “We learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning.” Adding, “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,” and that Gaga and her team had worked closely with authorities throughout the planning. After the concert, Gaga thanked her Brazilian fans in an Instagram post, calling the night a “historical moment” and how she felt “pride and joy singing for the people of Brazil.” See below.
For more information, you can watch the following news report:
Glad no one attending was injured…I don’t like her music tbh.
Her personal pain comes out in her music. Guess if you could relate to it, you’d be a fan. Not a match for me.
I’m really glad the authorities did their jobs to prevent the attack. Really sad that people actually take time to plan something so mean and tragic. Uncalled for.
“An estimated 2.5 million people came to see me sing, “
Hopefully this will bolster her recovery feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.