Two Arrested After Terrorist Threat

Two were arrested after L.A.-based band Allah-Las had to cancel its Aug. 23 gig in Rotterdam, Netherlands, due to a terrorist threat.  

AP Photo / Alik Keplicz –
Spectators are checked by security guards as the enter a club for a concert by the American Allah-Las rock band, in Warsaw, Poland, , Aug. 24.

One of the suspects was released as of press time. Allah-Las had to cancel its show at Rotterdam’s Maassilo last minute, after local police was tipped off by Spanish authorities about a possible terrorist threat.  

The Dutch authorities arrested one man driving a van around outside the venue on the night of the concert, but he was cleared of all suspicions. A day later, a second man was arrested.

No information about the state of interrogations of this second suspect was available at press time. A contact at Rotterdam police switchboard refused to forward Pollstar to the department in charge.

The latest statement from the police force on the matter states that the 22-year-old suspect “is in custody and will be questioned about the threat in Rotterdam.”

Meanwhile, Allah-Las have pledged to reschedule the Rotterdam gig, stating they would “provide updates on that as we can. For now, the organizers will ensure all ticket buyers receive a refund as quickly as possible.”

The band told The Guardian in a 2016 interview that “we get emails from Muslims, here in the US and around the world, saying they’re offended [by the band name], but that absolutely wasn’t our intention.” Apart from letters of complaint, the band had one concert in Turkey pulled in the past, because the promoter didn’t like the name.