Thfire.com Everyday news that matters Lady Gaga has canceled her sold-out show in Indonesia after protests against her were reaching new heights everyday and over security concerns.
The protesters threatened to go violent if the Lady Gaga when ahead with her “Born This Way Ball”.
The Islamic Defenders Front said Lady Gaga’s sexy clothes and provocative dance moves would corrupt youth in the world’s most populous Muslim country.
The group said supporters had bought tickets to the concert and planned to enter and force it to be stopped. It also threatened that thousands of protesters would confront the singer on her way from the airport.
Police had said they would only issue the required permits for the concert if Lady Gaga agreed to tone things down. Instead, she pulled the plug on the show, which had sold out with more than 50,000 tickets.
“With threats if the concert goes ahead, Lady Gaga’s side is calling off the concert,” Minola Sebayang, a lawyer for concert promoter Big Daddy, told reporters Sunday.
“This is not only about Lady Gaga’s security, but extends to those who will be watching her.”
Ninety percent of the population is Muslim, but most practice a moderate, tolerant form of the faith.
A small, extremist fringe, has gotten more vocal — and violent — in recent years, however, sometimes attacking Christians and members of other religious minorities with clubs and machetes.
Jakarta was supposed to be the biggest stop on Lady Gaga’s Asian tour, with 52,000 tickets scooped up in just a few days.
Fans will be fully refunded, said Michael Rusli, head of Big Daddy.
The Islamic Defenders Front, or the FPI, which threatened to meet Lady Gaga with tens of thousands of angry supporters if she dared step off the plane in the capital of Jakarta, celebrated news of her cancellation.
“This is a victory for Indonesian Muslims,” said Salim Alatas, one of the leaders of the hard-line group. “Thanks to God for protecting us from a kind of devil.”
Music lovers in Jakarta expressed outrage that the threats were able to force the show’s cancellation. Lady Gaga fan Johnny Purba, 25, called it an embarrassment to Indonesia.
“This only shows to the world how weak security forces are in this country, how police are afraid of a bunch of hard-liners,” Purba said.
“Gaga’s two-hour show will not hurt Indonesian Muslims. For God’s sake, she is not a terrorist!”
Lady Gaga is strange, but it never really stuck us that she would cause an entire movement against her.
