Brazilian police said on Sunday that they had thwarted a bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga’s historic concert that drew over two million people to Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro state, working in coordination with the Justice Ministry, said the plot was orchestrated by a group promoting hate speech and the radicalization of teenagers, including self-harm and violent content as a form of social belonging.According to the Rio city hall, 2.1 million people attended the concert of the American pop icon.“The suspects were recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,” the police said in a statement.
View image in full screen
Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025.
AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo
Trending Now
Deadly crash near Yellowstone highlights risks on scenic routes
RCMP called in after derelict ferry burns in ‘suspicious’ blaze overnight
The Justice Ministry said the recruiters identified themselves as members of Gaga’s global fan base, known as the “Little Monsters.” Story continues below advertisement
if ( typeof( gn_monetize ) !== 'undefined' && typeof( gn_monetize.Ads ) !== 'undefined' && gn_monetize.Ads.initialRequestMade() ) {
// Ads script has been loaded, create the ad.
gn_monetize.Ads.create( {"sizes":"[300,250]","biddable":true,"id":"gpt-ad-300250-10","lazy":false,"targeting":{"pos":10,"slotid":"gpt-ad-300250-10"},"companion":false} );
} else {
// if Ads script not yet loaded, queue up ad data for initialization.
var gnAdSettings = gnAdSettings || {};
gnAdSettings.ads = gnAdSettings.ads || [];
gnAdSettings.ads.push( {"sizes":"[300,250]","biddable":true,"id":"gpt-ad-300250-10","lazy":false,"targeting":{"pos":10,"slotid":"gpt-ad-300250-10"},"companion":false} );
}
The operation was based on a report by the ministry’s Cyber Operations Lab following a tip-off from Rio state police intelligence, which uncovered digital cells encouraging violent behavior among teenagers using coded language and extremist symbolism.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
Sign up for daily National newsletter
Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
A man described as the group’s leader was arrested in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of a firearm, while a teenager in Rio de Janeiro was detained for storing child pornography.Authorities carried out over a dozen search and seizure warrants across the states of Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul and Sao Paulo.
More on Entertainment
More videos
A timeline of Prince Harry’s troubled ties with the royal family
The story of backstage passes and how they work
Why May the 4th is celebrated as ‘Star Wars’ Day across the galaxy
‘The body is reality’: Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg on mortality and making movies
How Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg channelled his grief into his new film ‘The Shrouds’
Legendary Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg discusses latest film ‘The Shrouds’
Gardening Tips: Growing tomato plants in pots
Weekend Tee: Surrey Open
PSG, Arsenal suffer losses ahead of Champions League decider do sex
Polls open in Romania for critical presidential election rerun do sex
Sudan's RSF paramilitaries launch first attack on de facto capital do sex
Abducted father of crypto-millionaire freed in French police raid do sex
