Trending – Taylor Swift terror plot horror 

Trending – Taylor Swift terror plot horror 

What happened?

A 19-year-old man was planning to kill “a large crowd of people” in a suicide attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, according to Austrian security officials. After the plot was foiled, three of Taylor’s Vienna concerts were cancelled. More than 195,000 people were expected to attend the three-night tour stop at the Ernst Happel Stadium. 

Officials say the teen has confessed that he “intended to carry out an attack using explosives and knives“. Local media say the 19-year-old had stolen chemicals from his former workplace and he had made progress in building a bomb.  They also report that he had planned to drive a car into crowds expected to have gathered outside the stadium. 

Targeting a Taylor Swift concert is targeting women and girls. Again. The link between terror and male violence has to be made.

— suzanne moore (@suzanne_moore) August 7, 2024

The bigger picture? 

The news is reflected across UK, European and American newspapers as more details about the plot come to light. There’s a strong feeling that a major tragedy has been averted but has also added to the heightened tensions this summer across Europe and the West. 

The reaction online is fairly interesting. Considering the main suspect is ethically considered white there has not been the same outrage aimed at him as the suspect in the murder of three little girls in the UK – who was black. The suspect in the UK was accused of being a radicalised Muslim, though there is not yet any known connection to any religion. The white suspect in Vienna had pledged allegiance to IS and his motivation was extremist religious beliefs.

Online, women are pointing at this continued male violence towards women – as many of Taylor Swift’s concerts are attended by young women and girls. For men, they are pushing the narrative that it’s religion’s fault all while not mentioning his race.

Taylor is heading back to the UK for more tour dates in the Capital – and following a week of far-right rioting, deeply rooted in racism, Islamophobia and misinformation spread online, security will be tight.

“The terrorist threat has intensified throughout Europe and Austria was and is no exception,” Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said, adding that major concerts are “often a favourite target of Islamist attackers”.