Police believe the attackers targeted LGBTQ fans attending a free concert of the American star in Copacabana Beach, Rio.
Brazilian police arrested two people in connection with a conspiracy that suspected of explosives being exploded at a Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro, which attracted more than 2 million people.
Rio de Janeiro Civic Police said on social media on Sunday that they had blocked a bomb attack planned by the suspect for a free concert held on Saturday in the famous Copacabana Beach.
Police added that the “planning manager” adult was arrested along with the teenager in a operation codenamed “fake monster.”
The suspect said he recruited people online to “perform the attacks using improvised explosives” with the aim of “getting infamous on social media.” Police, working in conjunction with the Department of Justice, have raided throughout the state of Rio de Janeiro and across Sao Paulo, Rio Grande Dur and Mato Grosso.
Felipe Curie, the secretary of the Rio Police, said on Sunday that he believed the authorities “explicitly” tried to target Brazil’s LGBTQ community.
Rio Police Chief Luis Lima said the group behind the plot spread hate speech and violent content online, “to attract more viewers, more participants, most of them teenagers, and many of their children.”
The show, which said Rio City Hall had attracted 2.1 million people, went without confusion, despite Brazilian authorities saying they had arrested the suspect in the time before the event.
A spokesman for Lady Gaga said in a statement that the Starr and her team were not aware of safety concerns “before and during the show,” learning only about the threat the next morning.
The statement added: “Her team worked closely with law enforcement through concert planning and enforcement, and all stakeholders were confident in their safety measures.”
Security was tight at the concert on Saturday. 5,200 military personnel and police officers were deployed to the beach, where fans enjoyed the classic hits of pop singers, like the song, which became an LGBTQ anthem after its release in 2011.
The free beach concerts stood out at the time of the outrageous ticket prices for live music from around the world.
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