After the cancellation of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna, Austria, for attempted attacks, two young men aged 17 and 19 had already been arrested. They have just arrested a third individual, who is 18 years old. He claims to be from the jihadist group Islamic State.
Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna, scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, August 8, 9, and 10, have been cancelled following the arrest of two young men, aged 17 and 19, who were planning a suicide attack to “kill a large number of people,” Austrian authorities announced Thursday.
Details of the Arrests
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced the arrest of a third suspect on Friday, August 9, describing him as “an 18-year-old Iraqi close to the main suspect and having pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.”
At a press conference on Thursday, August 8, Austrian intelligence service (DSN) director Omar Haijawi-Pirchner announced that the main suspect, an Austrian originally from North Macedonia, “made a full confession and said that he intended to commit an attack using explosives and bladed weapons.”
The impact on the local economy
Taylor Swift, who has yet to speak, passed through France, Sweden, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, all of which had a significant economic impact. According to APA figures, the spinoffs in Austria are expected to be worth 100 million euros for 170,000 spectators. This large number of fans also pushed Chancellor Karl Nehammer to cancel the American’s visit in order to avoid a “bloodbath.”
