Brazilian authorities thwart potential bomb attack aimed at Lady Gaga's free concert in Rio de Janeiro.
Rewritten Article:
Host MICHEL MARTIN dives into an alarming situation that unfolded in Rio de Janeiro over the weekend. Brazilian authorities thwarted an alleged bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga's historic show on Saturday. Despite the crowd of over 2 million people, the concert went off without a hitch, thanks to the city's swift action.
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UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Singing) Oh, caught in a bad romance.
REPORTER JULIA CARNEIRO, reporting from Rio, shares the details:
Just hours before the concert, Rio's civil police conducted raids and made two arrests. The operation, codenamed Fake Monster, unearthed an allegedly sinister plan to attack concert-goers using improvised explosives. The suspects reportedly aimed to radicalize young people with anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech and promoted their goal as a notorious stunt on social media.
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detective CARLOS OLIVEDA commented on the find, stating that, although no bombs were discovered, the intention to cause harm was evident. The police allege that the suspects aimed to disrupt the concert with homemade explosives and Molotov cocktails.
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LADY GAGA: (Singing) This is my...
The crowded beach on Saturday couldn't foresee the alleged threat, as was Lady Gaga herself, who learned about the plot concurrently with the public through the media. Her spokesperson declared that no safety concerns were conveyed to the team before or during the show.
Rio's English teacher VITRO OMEDA expressed the anticipation shared by many:
OMEDA: Gaga, we love you. We've been waiting for many years. We're not devastated anymore. (Yelling) We love you.
The concert, estimated to cost about $17 million, accounted for almost a third of public funds. Yet, Rio deems these mega concerts essential to boost tourism and enhance the city's image.
As her largest crowd ever, Lady Gaga marveled at the over two million attendees on social media, expressing gratitude and vowing never to forget the moment.
For NPR News, I'm Julia Carneiro in Rio.
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(Enrichment Data)- Details of the Alleged Bomb Plot at Lady Gaga’s Rio Concert - Suspects arrested: an adult for illegal weapons possession and a teenager for child pornography. - 15 suspects' residences raided across multiple states, with phones and electronics seized. - The group's strategy involved radicalizing teenagers with anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech, aiming to cause disruptions by using Molotov cocktails and homemade explosives. - Posed as "Little Monsters" to recruit youths into violent online networks. - The two detained now face weapons possession and child pornography charges. - Authorities conducted raids discreetly to avoid public panic. - The free concert drew approximately 2 million attendees, supported by 3,300 military personnel, 1,500 police, and 400 firefighters.
- The alleged bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga's concert in Rio de Janeiro involved suspects who aimed to cause disruptions using Molotov cocktails and homemade explosives, as revealed by the operation codenamed Fake Monster.
- Julia Carneiro, reporting from Rio, detailed that the suspects in the bomb plot also aimed to recruit teenagers and radicalize them with anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech, promoting their actions as a notorious stunt on social media.
- Despite the alleged threat, the concert went off without a hitch, demonstrating the city's swift action to ensure the safety of the over 2 million people in attendance.
- The arrests were made just hours before the concert, with an adult arrested for illegal weapons possession and a teenager for child pornography, both among the 15 suspects whose residences were raided across multiple states.
