Taylor Swift ‘under lockdown’ after foiled terror plot ahead of London shows
Pop superstar Taylor Swift is getting presidential level security ahead of her five sold-out London shows following terror threats in Vienna.
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Pop superstar Taylor Swift is under presidential level security following terror threats that forced her to cancel three shows in Vienna.
She and her crew are in lockdown ahead of her five sold-out gigs at London’s Wembley Stadium.
The Sun reports that additional private security specialising in counter-terrorism will be deployed at the London gigs alongside the Metropolitan Police.
A source told The Sun: “Taylor’s security and of those around her has always been paramount, but even more so now.
“She and her dancers were told to ‘go to ground for their own safety’ in light of the Vienna threat. That’s why nothing has been said about the cancelled shows beyond the promoter’s statement.”
Ticketless Swifties have also been asked not to gather outside Wembley Stadium to listen to the gig.
Meanwhile, the lawyer for the 19-year-old arrested over the Austria plot claimed the teen was a fantasist who just wanted to be “cool”, The Sun reports.
She said: “He says the bomb wasn’t of good enough quality — it wouldn’t have worked.” But the teen had researched online how to build a device, she added.
It came as Swift’s best friend Blake Lively reacted to the recent terror plot.
In a video shared by Access Hollywood on TikTok, Lively, 36, made a red carpet appearance at the premiere of her new box office smash It Ends with Us in London, when a reporter asked her how she felt about “the Austria concerts.”
“Oh my gosh,” said Lively. “I mean, how terrifying. But thank goodness that they are completely on top of that,” she said.
Swift had three Eras Tour shows scheduled from August 8 to August 10 at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna before authorities confirmed that two males, aged 19 and 17, had been arrested in connection with a potentially deadly attack they had planned for the pop star’s shows.
According to Viennese officials, the suspects had intended to cause mass casualties using explosives and knives. Subsequently, Swift’s shows were cancelled.
Though Swift has not yet publicly commented on the alleged terror plot, she and Lively have enjoyed a very close friendship since 2015.
As well as attending each other’s birthday parties and cheerleading each other at key events, Lively directed Swift’s music video for “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” and was seen enjoying Eras Tour shows with her children in Philadelphia in May last year.
Lively was also very present at the 2024 Super Bowl in February to cheer on Swift’s football star boyfriend Travis Kelce - and Swift is godmother to Lively’s children with Ryan Reynolds. Swift hilariously gave Reynolds a shoutout on her Instagram Stories on 25 July, referring to her bestie’s hubby as “my godkids’ sperm donor!”
Lively and Reynolds share four children, daughters James, 9, Inez, 7, and Betty, 4, and son Olin, who was born in February 2023.
POLICE RELEASE SWIFT TERROR ATTACK SUSPECT PHOTOS
It came as Austria detained a third alleged Islamic State sympathiser over the Vienna plot.
Interior Ministry Gerhard Karner said that “an 18-year-old Iraqi close to the main suspect and who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group was arrested” in the Austrian capital last Thursday.
The two teenage suspects in the plot to carry out a terror attack were planning to use knives or homemade explosives to kill as many people as possible, according to authorities.
A 19-year-old main suspect was aiming to “kill himself and a large crowd at the concert”, the head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, said.
Mr Haijawi-Pirchner said the suspect was “clearly radicalised in the direction of the Islamic State (IS) and thinks it is right to kill infidels”.
A blurred image of the man holding two large knives was also shown to media by authorities.
A second suspect, said to be a 17-year-old Austrian citizen, had started a job at the venue where the Swift concerts were to be held just days before.
The teen was employed a few days ago by a company providing services at the venue during the concerts, according to officials. He was arrested by special police forces near the stadium.
The main suspect was also arrested.
According to the New York Post, the teens planned to drive a bomb-filled car into the crowd and had apparently just been hired by the venue to work security.
No other suspects are being sought, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said. However, a 15-year-old, who had been in contact with both suspects, was also questioned by police.
i work for an agency that staffs wembley stadium i just received this - i know a lot of people are worried about taylor’s wembley shows and hope this can ease some of those worries x pic.twitter.com/FO0utxXs4T
— shelbs ⋆.ೃ࿔*:ï½¥ (@perriesgem) August 8, 2024
SECURITY INCREASED AT AUSSIE EVENTS
The cancellation of the three Swift concerts in Vienna, Austria, after an ISIS-linked plot was uncovered, has fuelled speculation already strict security arrangements at major Australian events could be increased.
Deakin University terror expert Professor Greg Barton said Australian authorities would have made the same “significant” decision to cancel Swift’s February concerts Down Under if the threat had been detected so close to the event.
“The cancellation of the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna were a coincidence after ASIO raised the terror threat to probable in Australia,” he said.
“But it highlights the risks around the world.”
The “behind the scenes” planning for Australia’s Swift concert was “at least 12 months in the making,” Prof Barton said.
Prof Barton said Islamic State Khorasan Province, which was based out of Afghanistan has now become a major player in world terror plots.
That group was blamed for the terror attack on a Moscow theatre in March that killed 137 people.
ISKP was now a threat to Australia, Prof Barton added.
“They know they have arrested two people, but have they got everyone, do they (the terrorists) have a Plan B,” he said.
“People leaving the concert could have been targeted, like they were at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.”
Prof Barton said concerts in Australia had layers of security, including uniform and undercover police.
“They would be looking at security at the venue, queuing of people outside the venue and they would be looking for chatter and an increase in communication,” he said.
Backpacks are banned and permitted bag sizes shrunk to the size of an A4 piece of paper with every bag searched at the gates.
Most tickets in 2024, including for this week’s world premiere shows by American pop star Khalid at the Sydney Opera House, specify in bold capital letters “LEAVE BAGS AT HOME”.
Depending on the genre of music and profile of the majority of fans attending a concert, airport style metal detectors are also used at entrance gates.
Any act which is likely to attract a younger fanbase must have all seated tickets with no “mosh pits” or general admission standing areas.
Major stadiums have CCTV to monitor the crowd for potential bottleneck or crush points, anti-social behaviour or suspicious activity.
Masks or any attempt to conceal identity will also get you stopped at the gates.
Geoff Jones, TEG Group CEO said: “With every event, we work with our Venue Partners and security experts to deploy the highest standard of public security and ensure all precautions have been considered. The safety of the public and our patrons is paramount.”
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Originally published as Taylor Swift ‘under lockdown’ after foiled terror plot ahead of London shows
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