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Taylor Swift Cancels Concert in Thailand Following Military Coup

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Taylor Swift Press Conference To Announce Breaking The Record Of Solo Artist Sold-Out Shows At The Staples Center
Musician/actress Taylor Swift, wearing Elie Saab top and shorts, attends a press event for breaking The Staples Center's record of most sold-out shows for a solo artist held at The Staples Center on August 20, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. She has surpassed Madonna and Justin Timberlake for seven sellouts and Britney Spears at eight sellout shows.Kevin Winter--Getty Images
By Megan Gibson

Pop star Taylor Swift has cancelled an upcoming concert in Bangkok, Thailand, after the country’s military seized control of the government last week.

The June 9 show would have marked Swift’s first time performing in the country, which has been marked by unrest for the past six months. Mass anti-government
protests calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra prompted her May 7 removal from office. However, her removal also prompted her supporters to take to the streets in protest. The military coup on May 22 was a response to the deadlocked political crisis, which has already led to more than two dozen deaths and hundreds of injuries.

TIME has reported that the military coup means “[a] 10 p.m. curfew has been announced nationwide and curbs placed on gatherings of more than five people. Soldiers ordered rival protest camps to disperse and those present reported shots fired into the air. Media has been told to stop reporting and television channels taken off air.”

The local company organizing Swift’s concert, BEC-Tero Entertainment, told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement, “This has been a difficult decision for all parties.” For her part, Swift, who is wrapping up the final leg of her Red tour, tweeted on Tuesday:

[The Hollywood Reporter]

 

 

 

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