The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security prevented an attempt at a terrorist attack during the large concert of the artist Lady Gaga in Brazil.
According to the information from Brazilian media, authorities identified and thwarted a bomb threat at the Lady Gaga concert on Saturday night at Copacabana beach.
An investigation revealed that those involved belonged to a group promoting a "collective challenge" on social media to carry out attacks with improvised explosives in backpacks and Molotov cocktails during Lady Gaga's concert in Rio.
The group spread hate speech on social media and recruited teenagers to carry out an attack plan against children, adolescents, and the LGBTQIA+ community who attended the show.
A man identified as a leader was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm in Rio Grande do Sul, and a teenager was arrested in Rio. Another suspect, in Macaé, is being investigated for threatening a child with death and will be charged with terrorism and incitement to crime.
The 16-year-old boy admitted to the police that he posted hate messages on social media, but denied his direct involvement in the threats related to the event.
Through an operation dubbed Fake Monster, it was discovered that the group was operating on digital platforms such as Discord, where they promoted content related to hate crimes, self-harm, pedophilia, and extreme violence.
The operation was based on a report from Ciberlab, the cyber intelligence laboratory of the Ministry of Justice, following an alert from the Intelligence Sub-Secretariat of the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro. Officers conducted raids in dozens of homes and seized computers and other electronic equipment belonging to the suspects.
Lady Gaga performed this Saturday in front of a record-breaking audience: it is estimated that 2.5 million people attended the singer's free concert on Copacabana beach.
"The sight of the crowd during my first songs took my breath away. Your hearts shine so brightly, your culture is so vibrant and special, that I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historic moment with you. It is estimated that 2.5 million people came to see me sing, the largest audience for a woman in history. I wish I could share this feeling with the whole world," she wrote on Instagram.
According to Gaga's representatives, the concert was the most attended in history by a female artist, surpassing the 1.6 million people that Madonna gathered at the same venue last year.
Frequently asked questions about the thwarted attack at the Lady Gaga concert in Brazil
What happened during Lady Gaga's concert in Brazil?
Authorities thwarted a terrorist attack that aimed to detonate bombs during the Lady Gaga concert on Copacabana beach. The plan was discovered in time, and the suspects were arrested.
Who were the individuals responsible for the attempted attack?
The investigation revealed that those involved belonged to a group that promoted a "collective challenge" on social media. They recruited teenagers to carry out attacks with improvised explosives during the concert. A man was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm and a teenager was apprehended in Rio.
How was the operation carried out to prevent the attack at the Lady Gaga concert?
The operation, called "Fake Monster," was coordinated by the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro and the Ministry of Justice, based on a report from Ciberlab, a cyber intelligence laboratory. The initial alert was provided by the Subsecretariat of Intelligence of the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro.
What consequences does the group responsible for the foiled attack face?
The individuals involved will be charged with terrorism and incitement to crime. Furthermore, their activities on digital platforms are under investigation, where they promoted hate speech and hate crimes, which could exacerbate their legal penalties.
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