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Brazilian police thwarted a bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga’s historic concert that drew over 2 million people to Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro state, working in coordination with the Justice Ministry, said that the plan was linked to a group that promotes hate speech and radicalizing teenagers.
The group reportedly encourages self-harm and violent content as a form of social belonging.
“The suspects were recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,” the police said in a statement.
Fireworks are seen at the end of Lady Gaga’s open concert, in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro
Reuters
According to the Rio city hall, 2.1 million people attended the concert of the American pop icon, to which tickets were free.
The group identified themselves as members of Gaga’s global fan base, known as the “Little Monsters”, Brazil’s Justice Ministry said.
The operation was based on a report by the ministry’s Cyber Operations Lab following a tip-off from Rio state police intelligence, which uncovered digital cells encouraging violent behavior among teenagers using coded language and extremist symbolism.
More to follow…