Police on High Alert Following Vienna Event Cancellation

UK Policing Minister Diana Johnson announced on Thursday that police are thoroughly examining all intelligence regarding Taylor Swift’s upcoming concerts at London’s Wembley Stadium later this month. The statement followed the abrupt cancellation of three dates in Swift’s The Eras Tour in Austria earlier this week. Two men were arrested on charges of plotting a terror attack on one of the concerts in Vienna.

Swift had been scheduled to perform at Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna for three consecutive nights starting Thursday, before heading back to the U.K for five performances at Wembley Stadium from August 15 to 20. The local Vienna concert organizer, Barracuda Music, cited safety concerns as the primary reason for cancelling all three shows following the news of the arrests.

In an interview with radio network LBC, Johnson was asked about the potential implications of the Vienna events for Swift’s London shows. She emphasized that the police are assessing all available intelligence and reassessing the risk for every event happening in the country. She assured that these decisions are strictly within the purview of the police.

There have been rumors that some ticket holders in the U.K., particularly those planning to attend with younger children, have been looking to cancel their tickets due to security fears. Official comments from Wembley Stadium and Ticketmaster are yet to be received.

Johnson also reiterated the commitment of the newly-elected Labour government to pass legislation requiring venues and local authorities to implement preventive measures against terror attacks. This proposed legislation, known as Martyn’s Law, was inspired by the 2017 Manchester Arena attack at an Ariana Grande concert, which resulted in 22 fatalities.

Martyn’s Law is named after one of the victims of the Manchester Arena attack, Martyn Hett. His mother, Figen Murray, has been a strong advocate for the legislation. Johnson remarked that the manifesto from the General Election included a commitment to introducing Martyn’s Law. She stated that the aim is to ensure that venues at risk of terrorist attacks have all necessary measures in place to maintain public safety, and that the government is set to bring forward this legislation soon.

Swift’s return to the U.K. is planned in a highly charged environment following recent riots incited by a far-right disinformation campaign. The riots were in response to the fatal stabbing of three young girls attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance summer camp on July 29. False rumors about the suspect, Axel Rudakubana, being an asylum-seeker triggered anti-immigrant riots in multiple towns and cities across the country. These rumors were spread by right-wing agitators.

On Wednesday evening, fears of renewed violence after right-wing groups called for attacks on immigration advice centers were calmed by a significant police presence in expected hotspots, combined with rallies by thousands of anti-racism protesters.

Source: Various Sources