WARMINGTON: Torontonian on holiday from anti-Semitism finds terror in Vienna (2024)

So much for taking a vacation to get a break from all of the anti-Semitism in Toronto.

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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.

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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.

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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. 7with 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.

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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.

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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.”

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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. 7slaughter 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.

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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.”

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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

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