Three Taylor Swift concerts in Austria have been cancelled after authorities discovered an Islamic State plot to attack them.
Dammit! I hated the Islamic State! Now I'm not so sure.
Dammit! I hated the Islamic State! Now I'm not so sure.
How To Go On This One?
- Thread starter Tecumsehsbones
- Start date
And here I was thinking you were wondering what you should wear!
So I was about to mention, what about that lovely rainbows and unicorns my pony hijab you have in your closet waiting for an occasion?
lol
I've had similar thoughts about Islam.
I so want to see globalists heads roll I'm almost ready to show my ass to the West five times a day!
;?)
I said men. The ones who dumped 200 euros to buy Nickleswift tickets for spouses and daughters to have 5 hours of peace and quiet at home alone or at a pub.
Torontonian on holiday from anti-Semitism finds terror in Vienna
Ariella Kimmel and thousands of fellow Swifties narrowly avoided an alleged terror plot that aimed to target a Taylor Swift concert
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Aug 08, 2024 • Last updated 3 days ago • 4 minute read
So much for taking a vacation to get a break from all of the anti-Semitism in Toronto.
Turns out Toronto’s Ariella Kimmel and thousands of fellow Swifties dodged a blade in Vienna.
Perhaps explosions and chemical poisoning as well.
Mayhem, death and destruction could have ensued from a reported plan to drive a truck full of bombs into the crowd along with a mass knife attack in an alleged radical Islamic terror plot at the stadium – but it was stopped just in time.
“The story that’s out now (is that) they were hired as security guards and were going to use that to plant a chemical weapon,” said Kimmel, who travelled to Austria to take in one of three Taylor Swift concerts.
Authorities abruptly cancelled the three shows after thwarting this heinous plan to target Swift and her fans.
Two suspects – a 19-year-old and 17-year-old who have reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS – are under arrest.
But a shaken Swift, along with Austrian authorities, decided to cancel the concerts – leaving thousands of fans stranded with no show.
Kimmel – whom I know well from all of her outstanding communications work over the years, including in recent months following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 with her role as VP strategic communications of Winston Wilmont – is one of them.
“While I’m heartbroken that the concert was cancelled, I’m grateful to the authorities for preventing what could have been a tragedy,” she told the Toronto Sun from Vienna.
However, this potential horror has not scared Swift fans – it has emboldened them.
“It’s incredible today to see all throughout Vienna Swifties gathering in their outfits for the concert, trading friendship bracelets and singing at the top of their lungs,” said Kimmel, who has been to four Swift concerts, including one in Sweden.
Ariella Kimmel, of Toronto, travelled to Vienna, Austria to see a Taylor Swift concert that was cancelled this week after an alleged terror plot was thwarted.
Ariella Kimmel, of Toronto, travelled to Vienna, Austria to see a Taylor Swift concert that was cancelled this week after an alleged terror plot was thwarted.
While in Vienna, Kimmel stopped by the house of her great grandparents who were murdered in the Holocaust and her grandmother who managed to narrowly escape. She understands all too well what hate can do but also believes good triumphs over evil.
“The smallest men whoever lived will not win,” said Kimmel.
They do, unfortunately, ruin freedom as people know it.
All of this comes just days after a murder spree that saw three girls – aged six, seven and nine – stabbed to death and two others wounded at a Swift-themed dance in Southport England. An 18-year-old has been charged and while there has been rioting over this incident, there has been no evidence so far showing any affiliations or motive.
But attacking innocent children at soft targets is pure evil.
Swift is said to be “devastated” and is vowing to come back to Vienna. This horror has, however, raised the question for her upcoming Eras tour concerts, including shows at Wembley in London this month and the six shows scheduled for November at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
“We’re not aware of any credible threats related to the upcoming concerts in Toronto,” said TPS spokesperson Stephanie Sayer. “However, we’re always attentive to community concerns when it comes to public safety and will work closely with event organizers to ensure that comprehensive security measures are in place.”
Canada, after all, has seen terror before.
Last week, a father and son were arrested just before they allegedly set out to attack a still unknown target in which many believe could have been a Jewish site. There have been dozens of anti-Semitic crimes committed in Toronto since the Oct. 7 slaughter in Israel.
In the past year, a man was charged with setting off an explosive at the Edmonton city hall and the 2014 ISIS-inspired murders of soldiers Patrice Vincent near Montreal and Nathan Cirillo in Ottawa are still fresh in Canadians minds.
I also will never forget the gutless slaying of Naim Akl and the shooting of his family at their takeout restaurant in Mississauga in 2021, in which three people who had sworn their allegiance to ISIS were found guilty in June.
Kimmel said she will always remember the “Nova Festival about peace and love” in Israel, the Bataclan Theatre in Paris featuring the Eagles of Death Metal in 2015 and the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in 2017 were targetted by terrorists.
“Sadly, it’s all the same ideology that seeks to destroy the good in humanity. We cannot let cowardice win,” said Kimmel. “For Canadians, this needs to open our eyes. In the last two weeks we have had multiple instances of Canadians implicated in terrorism. Someone who travelled to Israel to commit an act of terrorism, a Canadian convicted in a terrorism case in the U.K., and a father and son in Richmond Hill arrested for a terrorist plot.”
Added Kimmel: “Online radicalization and the threat of terrorism is real and cannot continue to be ignored by our government.”
She’s right.
We have to be on top of this. Not just for the upcoming Swift concerts or Olympic soccer games but for everything.
The sad part is Swift is such a positive force for peace and people connecting, having fun, being who they are and savouring freedom.
“These concerts are not just concerts, they’re an escape from what is happening in the world,” said Kimmel. “For a few hours it doesn’t matter where you’re from, who you worship, or what you believe – everyone puts on their Eras costumes, comes to give out friendship bracelets and sings to her songs for hours.”
It’s perfect – until the terrorists show up.
jwarmington@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
Ariella Kimmel and thousands of fellow Swifties narrowly avoided an alleged terror plot that aimed to target a Taylor Swift concert
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Aug 08, 2024 • Last updated 3 days ago • 4 minute read
So much for taking a vacation to get a break from all of the anti-Semitism in Toronto.
Turns out Toronto’s Ariella Kimmel and thousands of fellow Swifties dodged a blade in Vienna.
Perhaps explosions and chemical poisoning as well.
Mayhem, death and destruction could have ensued from a reported plan to drive a truck full of bombs into the crowd along with a mass knife attack in an alleged radical Islamic terror plot at the stadium – but it was stopped just in time.
“The story that’s out now (is that) they were hired as security guards and were going to use that to plant a chemical weapon,” said Kimmel, who travelled to Austria to take in one of three Taylor Swift concerts.
Authorities abruptly cancelled the three shows after thwarting this heinous plan to target Swift and her fans.
Two suspects – a 19-year-old and 17-year-old who have reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS – are under arrest.
But a shaken Swift, along with Austrian authorities, decided to cancel the concerts – leaving thousands of fans stranded with no show.
Kimmel – whom I know well from all of her outstanding communications work over the years, including in recent months following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 with her role as VP strategic communications of Winston Wilmont – is one of them.
“While I’m heartbroken that the concert was cancelled, I’m grateful to the authorities for preventing what could have been a tragedy,” she told the Toronto Sun from Vienna.
However, this potential horror has not scared Swift fans – it has emboldened them.
“It’s incredible today to see all throughout Vienna Swifties gathering in their outfits for the concert, trading friendship bracelets and singing at the top of their lungs,” said Kimmel, who has been to four Swift concerts, including one in Sweden.
Ariella Kimmel, of Toronto, travelled to Vienna, Austria to see a Taylor Swift concert that was cancelled this week after an alleged terror plot was thwarted.
Ariella Kimmel, of Toronto, travelled to Vienna, Austria to see a Taylor Swift concert that was cancelled this week after an alleged terror plot was thwarted.
While in Vienna, Kimmel stopped by the house of her great grandparents who were murdered in the Holocaust and her grandmother who managed to narrowly escape. She understands all too well what hate can do but also believes good triumphs over evil.
“The smallest men whoever lived will not win,” said Kimmel.
They do, unfortunately, ruin freedom as people know it.
All of this comes just days after a murder spree that saw three girls – aged six, seven and nine – stabbed to death and two others wounded at a Swift-themed dance in Southport England. An 18-year-old has been charged and while there has been rioting over this incident, there has been no evidence so far showing any affiliations or motive.
But attacking innocent children at soft targets is pure evil.
Swift is said to be “devastated” and is vowing to come back to Vienna. This horror has, however, raised the question for her upcoming Eras tour concerts, including shows at Wembley in London this month and the six shows scheduled for November at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
“We’re not aware of any credible threats related to the upcoming concerts in Toronto,” said TPS spokesperson Stephanie Sayer. “However, we’re always attentive to community concerns when it comes to public safety and will work closely with event organizers to ensure that comprehensive security measures are in place.”
Canada, after all, has seen terror before.
Last week, a father and son were arrested just before they allegedly set out to attack a still unknown target in which many believe could have been a Jewish site. There have been dozens of anti-Semitic crimes committed in Toronto since the Oct. 7 slaughter in Israel.
In the past year, a man was charged with setting off an explosive at the Edmonton city hall and the 2014 ISIS-inspired murders of soldiers Patrice Vincent near Montreal and Nathan Cirillo in Ottawa are still fresh in Canadians minds.
I also will never forget the gutless slaying of Naim Akl and the shooting of his family at their takeout restaurant in Mississauga in 2021, in which three people who had sworn their allegiance to ISIS were found guilty in June.
Kimmel said she will always remember the “Nova Festival about peace and love” in Israel, the Bataclan Theatre in Paris featuring the Eagles of Death Metal in 2015 and the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in 2017 were targetted by terrorists.
“Sadly, it’s all the same ideology that seeks to destroy the good in humanity. We cannot let cowardice win,” said Kimmel. “For Canadians, this needs to open our eyes. In the last two weeks we have had multiple instances of Canadians implicated in terrorism. Someone who travelled to Israel to commit an act of terrorism, a Canadian convicted in a terrorism case in the U.K., and a father and son in Richmond Hill arrested for a terrorist plot.”
Added Kimmel: “Online radicalization and the threat of terrorism is real and cannot continue to be ignored by our government.”
She’s right.
We have to be on top of this. Not just for the upcoming Swift concerts or Olympic soccer games but for everything.
The sad part is Swift is such a positive force for peace and people connecting, having fun, being who they are and savouring freedom.
“These concerts are not just concerts, they’re an escape from what is happening in the world,” said Kimmel. “For a few hours it doesn’t matter where you’re from, who you worship, or what you believe – everyone puts on their Eras costumes, comes to give out friendship bracelets and sings to her songs for hours.”
It’s perfect – until the terrorists show up.
jwarmington@postmedia.com
WARMINGTON: Torontonian on holiday from anti-Semitism finds terror in Vienna
So much for taking a vacation to get a break from all of the anti-Semitism in Toronto.
Group planning Swift fan parties in Toronto say safety is ’top of mind’ after Austrian arrests
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Published Aug 10, 2024 • 2 minute read
Safety will be “top of mind” when planning parties outside Taylor Swift’s concert venue in Toronto, the group organizing the events said, after a threat in Austria forced several Swift shows to be cancelled.
Security challenges at Swift concerts have drawn renewed attention after Austrian authorities announced they had arrested suspects and foiled a conspiracy to attack now-cancelled shows in Vienna with knives or homemade explosives.
Toronto’s Version: Taylgate ’24 has said it plans to host parties outside the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto, where Swift is scheduled to perform six times in November.
The group said it is “heartbroken” for Austrian fans who missed out on seeing a tour that has attracted massive global interest.
It said it is “monitoring” developments after the Austrian arrests and will remain in contact with all relevant authorities as Swift’s arrival in Toronto approaches.
“Over the next few months, we will continue our safety and security discussions,” the group said in a statement.
Retired RCMP officer and security consultant Chris Mathers said security planning for mass public events is constantly evolving due to threats emanating from organized terror groups or those dealing with mental health challenges.
“Logistically, it’s impossible to search everyone,” he said.
“You can run people through metal detectors as they do at large sporting events, but that is pretty inexact. When you’re screening tens of thousands of people, there’s going to be mistakes made.”
He said it’s difficult to secure large crowds especially in the areas around venues that host large events.
“People could set off a device or fire weapons in front of the security booths where all the young people are standing around,” he said.
“If you go outside the arena or wherever it’s being held, the stadium, there’s thousands and thousands of people milling around. How do you protect them? What is your zone of protection?… What’s the radius? It’s limitless.”
Mayor Olivia Chow has voiced confidence that the Toronto leg of Swift’s Eras tour will be secure.
“I do know that the Toronto police and others have been meeting regularly to make sure that everyone coming to the Taylor Swift concert will be safe and sound,” she said.
Austrian authorities on Friday announced a third arrest in connection with the alleged attack plan.
The main suspect, a 19-year-old, planned to target onlookers gathered outside Ernst Happel Stadium — up to 30,000 each night, with another 65,000 inside the venue — with knives or homemade explosives during the concert on Thursday or Friday. The suspect hoped to “kill as many people as possible,” authorities said.
He was taken into custody on Tuesday, along with a 17-year-old. The third suspect, an 18-year-old, was arrested Thursday evening, the interior minister said.
Austrian authorities said the scheme was inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida.
— With files from the Associated Press.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Published Aug 10, 2024 • 2 minute read
Safety will be “top of mind” when planning parties outside Taylor Swift’s concert venue in Toronto, the group organizing the events said, after a threat in Austria forced several Swift shows to be cancelled.
Security challenges at Swift concerts have drawn renewed attention after Austrian authorities announced they had arrested suspects and foiled a conspiracy to attack now-cancelled shows in Vienna with knives or homemade explosives.
Toronto’s Version: Taylgate ’24 has said it plans to host parties outside the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto, where Swift is scheduled to perform six times in November.
The group said it is “heartbroken” for Austrian fans who missed out on seeing a tour that has attracted massive global interest.
It said it is “monitoring” developments after the Austrian arrests and will remain in contact with all relevant authorities as Swift’s arrival in Toronto approaches.
“Over the next few months, we will continue our safety and security discussions,” the group said in a statement.
Retired RCMP officer and security consultant Chris Mathers said security planning for mass public events is constantly evolving due to threats emanating from organized terror groups or those dealing with mental health challenges.
“Logistically, it’s impossible to search everyone,” he said.
“You can run people through metal detectors as they do at large sporting events, but that is pretty inexact. When you’re screening tens of thousands of people, there’s going to be mistakes made.”
He said it’s difficult to secure large crowds especially in the areas around venues that host large events.
“People could set off a device or fire weapons in front of the security booths where all the young people are standing around,” he said.
“If you go outside the arena or wherever it’s being held, the stadium, there’s thousands and thousands of people milling around. How do you protect them? What is your zone of protection?… What’s the radius? It’s limitless.”
Mayor Olivia Chow has voiced confidence that the Toronto leg of Swift’s Eras tour will be secure.
“I do know that the Toronto police and others have been meeting regularly to make sure that everyone coming to the Taylor Swift concert will be safe and sound,” she said.
Austrian authorities on Friday announced a third arrest in connection with the alleged attack plan.
The main suspect, a 19-year-old, planned to target onlookers gathered outside Ernst Happel Stadium — up to 30,000 each night, with another 65,000 inside the venue — with knives or homemade explosives during the concert on Thursday or Friday. The suspect hoped to “kill as many people as possible,” authorities said.
He was taken into custody on Tuesday, along with a 17-year-old. The third suspect, an 18-year-old, was arrested Thursday evening, the interior minister said.
Austrian authorities said the scheme was inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida.
— With files from the Associated Press.
Group planning Swift fan parties in Toronto say safety is ’top of mind’ after Austrian arrests
Safety will be "top of mind" when planning parties outside Taylor Swift's concert venue in Toronto, the group organizing the events said.
Suspects in foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift shows aimed to kill ’tens of thousands’
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Stefanie Dazio
Published Aug 29, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
BERLIN — The suspects in the foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna earlier this month sought to kill “tens of thousands” of fans before the CIA discovered intelligence that disrupted the planning and led to arrests, the agency’s deputy director said.
The CIA notified Austrian authorities of the scheme, which allegedly included links to the Islamic State group. The intelligence and subsequent arrests ultimately led to the cancellation of three sold-out Eras Tour shows, devastating fans who had traveled across the globe to see Swift in concert.
CIA Deputy Director David Cohen addressed the failed plot during the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit, held this week in Maryland.
“They were plotting to kill a huge number — tens of thousands of people at this concert, including I am sure many Americans — and were quite advanced in this,” Cohen said Wednesday. “The Austrians were able to make those arrests because the agency and our partners in the intelligence community provided them information about what this ISIS-connected group was planning to do.”
Austrian officials said the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian man, was inspired by the Islamic State group. He allegedly planned to attack outside the stadium, where upwards of 30,000 fans were expected to gather, with knives or homemade explosives. Another 65,000 fans were likely to be inside the venue. Investigators discovered chemical substances and technical devices during a raid of the suspect’s home.
Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner, previously said help from other intelligence agencies was needed because Austrian investigators, unlike some foreign services, can’t legally monitor text messages.
The 19-year-old’s lawyer has said the allegations were “overacting at its best,” and contended Austrian authorities were “presenting this exaggeratedly” in order to get new surveillance powers.
Swift broke her silence about the cancellations last week after her London shows had concluded.
“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”
She thanked authorities — “thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she wrote — and said she waited to speak until the European leg of her Eras Tour concluded to prioritize safety.
“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she wrote.
Swift’s publicist did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.
Concert organizer Barracuda Music said it canceled the three-night Vienna run that would have begun Aug. 8 because the arrests made in connection to the conspiracy were too close to showtime.
The main suspect and a 17-year-old were taken into custody on Aug. 6, the day before the cancellations were announced. A third suspect, 18, was arrested Aug. 8. Their names have not been released in line with Austrian privacy rules.
The shows in London, the next stop after Vienna, came on the heels of a stabbing at a Swift-themed dance class that left three little girls dead in the U.K. In a statement issued after the Southport attack, Swift said she was “just completely in shock” and “at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.” News outlets reported that Swift met with some of the survivors backstage in London.
The Vienna plot also drew comparisons to a 2017 attack by a suicide bomber at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people. The bomb detonated at the end of Grande’s concert as thousands of young fans were leaving, becoming the deadliest extremist attack in the United Kingdom in recent years.
Cohen on Wednesday praised the CIA’s work in preventing the planned violence, saying that other counterterrorism “successes” in foiling plots typically go unheralded.
“I can tell you within my agency, and I’m sure in others, there were people who thought that was a really good day for Langley,” he said, referring to the CIA headquarters. “And not just the Swifties in my workforce.”
The record-smashing tour is on hiatus until the fall.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Stefanie Dazio
Published Aug 29, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
BERLIN — The suspects in the foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna earlier this month sought to kill “tens of thousands” of fans before the CIA discovered intelligence that disrupted the planning and led to arrests, the agency’s deputy director said.
The CIA notified Austrian authorities of the scheme, which allegedly included links to the Islamic State group. The intelligence and subsequent arrests ultimately led to the cancellation of three sold-out Eras Tour shows, devastating fans who had traveled across the globe to see Swift in concert.
CIA Deputy Director David Cohen addressed the failed plot during the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit, held this week in Maryland.
“They were plotting to kill a huge number — tens of thousands of people at this concert, including I am sure many Americans — and were quite advanced in this,” Cohen said Wednesday. “The Austrians were able to make those arrests because the agency and our partners in the intelligence community provided them information about what this ISIS-connected group was planning to do.”
Austrian officials said the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian man, was inspired by the Islamic State group. He allegedly planned to attack outside the stadium, where upwards of 30,000 fans were expected to gather, with knives or homemade explosives. Another 65,000 fans were likely to be inside the venue. Investigators discovered chemical substances and technical devices during a raid of the suspect’s home.
Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner, previously said help from other intelligence agencies was needed because Austrian investigators, unlike some foreign services, can’t legally monitor text messages.
The 19-year-old’s lawyer has said the allegations were “overacting at its best,” and contended Austrian authorities were “presenting this exaggeratedly” in order to get new surveillance powers.
Swift broke her silence about the cancellations last week after her London shows had concluded.
“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”
She thanked authorities — “thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” she wrote — and said she waited to speak until the European leg of her Eras Tour concluded to prioritize safety.
“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she wrote.
Swift’s publicist did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.
Concert organizer Barracuda Music said it canceled the three-night Vienna run that would have begun Aug. 8 because the arrests made in connection to the conspiracy were too close to showtime.
The main suspect and a 17-year-old were taken into custody on Aug. 6, the day before the cancellations were announced. A third suspect, 18, was arrested Aug. 8. Their names have not been released in line with Austrian privacy rules.
The shows in London, the next stop after Vienna, came on the heels of a stabbing at a Swift-themed dance class that left three little girls dead in the U.K. In a statement issued after the Southport attack, Swift said she was “just completely in shock” and “at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.” News outlets reported that Swift met with some of the survivors backstage in London.
The Vienna plot also drew comparisons to a 2017 attack by a suicide bomber at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people. The bomb detonated at the end of Grande’s concert as thousands of young fans were leaving, becoming the deadliest extremist attack in the United Kingdom in recent years.
Cohen on Wednesday praised the CIA’s work in preventing the planned violence, saying that other counterterrorism “successes” in foiling plots typically go unheralded.
“I can tell you within my agency, and I’m sure in others, there were people who thought that was a really good day for Langley,” he said, referring to the CIA headquarters. “And not just the Swifties in my workforce.”
The record-smashing tour is on hiatus until the fall.
CIA official: Suspects in foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift shows aimed to kill ’tens of thousands’
The record-smashing tour is on hiatus until the fall.
