Lady Gaga breaks silence after police foil anti-LGBTQ terror group’s plan to attack her record breaking concert

Rio de Janeiro police say that they foiled a massive terror attack targeting Lady Gaga’s record breaking concert on Copacabana Beach, which drew an estimated 2.1 million people on Saturday.

Lady Gaga’s team has broken their silence on the attempted attack, which authorities believe was planned by a grew that spreads anti-LGBTQ hate speech.

“We learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning. 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. Her team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place,” a spokesperson for the singer said.

“The suspects were recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,” the police said in a statement.

The justice ministry said the recruiters identified themselves as members of Gaga’s global fan base, known as the “Little Monsters.” The operation to apprehend the terror suspects was codenamed “Operation Fake Monster.”

According to police, the attack was planned through a social media campaign encouraging young people to attack the concert.

Local authorities believe the group was trying to target the country’s LGBTQ+ community.

“They were clearly saying that they were planning an attack at Lady Gaga’s concert motivated by sexual orientation,” Felipe Cury, secretary of the Rio police, said Sunday, according to the Associated Press.

The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro State, collaborating with the justice ministry, uncovered the plan, which they linked to a group promoting hate speech and radicalizing teenagers.

This group spread content online “aimed at gaining notoriety in order to attract more viewers, more participants — most of them teenagers, many of them children,” Rio Police chief Luiz Lima said, according to the outlet.

This group reportedly encourages self-harm and violent acts as a means of social connection. The concert, a historic event for the American pop icon, proceeded without incident, according to Rio City Hall.

The operation was based on a report by the ministry’s cyberoperations 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.

A man described as the group’s leader was arrested in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of a firearm, while a teenager in Rio de Janeiro was detained for storing child pornography.

Authorities carried out over a dozen search and seizure warrants across the states of Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul and Sao Paulo.

Prior to the concert, it was reported that there would be 5,000 security agents as well as facial recognition software deployed at the concert.

“Tonight, we’re making history. Thank you for making history with me,” Gaga told a screaming crowd in the Brazilian capital.

The Mother Monster, as she is known, kicked off the show at around 10.10pm local time with her 2011 song “Bloody Mary”.

The singer performed her classic hits, including “Poker Face” and “Alejandro,” switching between an array of costumes, including a dress with the colours of the Brazilian flag.

Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot, armed with snacks and drinks. They spent the day under a blazing sun, while others perched in trees, determined to get a panoramic view.

“Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes, a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019.

“It’s surreal to be here.”

In the wake of the concert, Lady Gaga paid tribute to her fans in a post on Instagram.

“Nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night’s show — the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil. The sight of the crowd during my opening songs took my breath away. Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you.”

Madonna turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year with her own free show at the iconic stretch of seaside.

The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after carnival and New Year’s Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June.

The country’s largest carriers – the local unit of Chile’s LATAM Airlines, Gol and Azul – all reported on Friday that they have been operating more flights that are close to full.