Two weeks since the Vienna shows of Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' got cancelled amid a foiled terror plot, the globally popular American singer today issued her first statement on the incident.
What did Taylor Swift say?
As the Europe leg of the tour came to an end, the 'Cruel Summer' singer penned a long post on Instagram where she mentioned, “Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. 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.”
Further thanking the authorities, she wrote, “Thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.”
Earlier when the cancellations were announced, Swift's representatives did not respond media requests for comment while her social media pages went dormant. However, explaining the reason behind the delay in breaking silence over the matter, Swift 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.
“In cases like this one, silence' is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it's right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it's with great relief that I can say we did that,” she added.
Why were the Vienna concerts cancelled?
As per reports, a 19-year-old suspect had planned to attack spectators outside the Ernst Happel Stadium with knives or homemade explosives, hoping to “kill as many people as possible.” Austrian officials said they appeared to have been inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida.
Explaining the reason behind the heart-breaking decision for thousands of 'Swifties', Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said, "The cancellation of the Taylor Swift concerts by the organizers is a bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria. The situation surrounding the apparently planned terrorist attack in Vienna was very serious. Thanks to the intensive cooperation of our police and the newly established DSN with foreign services, the threat was recognized early, combated and a tragedy prevented."
On August 6, the main suspect and another 17-year-old were taken into custody while a third suspect was arrested August 8. However, a lawyer for the main suspect termed the presentation of the case as 'exaggerated', and mentioned that his client wouldn't have been able to carry out any such plan.
