Taylor Swift‘s fans in Vienna are gathering to console one another after the pop superstar was forced to cancel a series of “Eras Tour” concerts in the city due to terrorists threats.
On Aug. 8, throngs of Swifties stood along the streets in Austria’s capital where they traded bracelets and sang Swift’s songs together, according to videos shared on X.
Fans chose to come together on a street named Corneliusgasse because its name is similar to “Cornelia Street,” the name of a track from Swift’s 2019 album, “Lover,” according to the AP.
A day before, Swift, 34, canceled three scheduled concerts in Vienna after authorities arrested two people in connection to allegations of plans of attacks in the city, including Swift’s shows.
Swift had performances scheduled at the Ernst Happel Stadium on Aug. 8, 9, and 10.
She had revealed in 2019 that her “biggest fear” is that such an attack happen at one of her concerts. In conversation with Elle magazine, she referenced the 2017 bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in England and the shooting at a Las Vegas music festival that same year.
“I was completely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe over seven months,” she said. “There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense, and effort put into keeping my fans safe.”
The plot’s main suspect told authorities that he planned to commit a suicide attack with bombs and weapons at one of the concerts, the Australian chancellor said on Aug. 8.
“The suspects had very specific and detailed plans to cause a tragedy here like in Paris, Manchester or Moscow,” Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer posted in German on X on Aug. 8. “The main perpetrator confessed that he wanted to carry out a suicide attack with two accomplices. He obtained explosives and weapons.”
“It is unimaginable what devastating consequences this would have had,” Nehammer wrote. “That would have meant numerous deaths and injuries.”
The plot’s suspects include a 19-year-old Austrian man with North Macedonian roots who had downloaded manuals explaining how to build bombs, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of Austria’s Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, said at a news conference on Aug. 8, according to NBC News.
Homemade explosives, hydrogen peroxide, detonators and detonator cables were found during a search of the suspect’s apartment, added Haijawi-Pirchner.
Another suspect, a 17-year-old Austrian citizen with Turkish and Croatian roots had been hired by a company that would have provided services at the concerts, Haijawi-Pirchner said. He did not specify what type of services. A search of the suspect’s home revealed Islamic State terrorist group and Al Qaeda materials, he said.
A third suspect, a 15-year old Austrian national with Turkish roots, was also being questioned, he added.
The plot’s prime suspect “gave a full confession” according to Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria’s Interior Ministry. He added that no one else was being questioned in connection to the case.
The United States intelligence community initially alerted Austrian law enforcement about a potential terror attack, a senior U.S. law enforcement official told NBC News on Aug. 7.
After the news media reported about the plot on Wednesday, the events’ organizer, Barracuda Music, said it had “no choice but to cancel” the concerts “for everyone’s safety.”
Nehammer called the concerts’ cancellations “a bitter disappointment,” but insisted that the safety of Swift and her fans came first.
“We live in a time in which there are forces that want to fight our joy of life and our freedom with terrorist means,” Nehammer wrote on X.
“I can understand that many who have been looking forward to these concerts for a long time are now sad. But safety comes first and a tragedy was prevented.”