Pride Month is just around the corner and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security are warning revelers that their events and venues may come under attack by foreign terror organizations or their supporters. The U.S. State Department has issued a worldwide alert on the subject.
“FTO [foreign terrorist organizations] efforts to commit or inspire violence against holiday celebrations, including Pride celebrations or LGBTQIA+-related venues, are compounded by the current heightened threat environment in the United States and other western countries. FTOs and their supporters have previously promoted anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and targeted LGBTQIA+ related events or venues for attacks,” the FBI reported.
The agency referred to a February 2023 message from the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, which featured an article on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other varieties of gender identity. In the same issue , the publication called for followers to conduct attacks on unidentified soft targets, although the attacks and targets were not specific to LGBTQIA+ venues.
The FBI reminded readers that June 12 is the eighth anniversary of the terrorist shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, in which 49 people were killed and 53 were wounded.
- “After the Pulse shooting, pro-ISIS messaging praised this attack as one of the high-profile attacks in Western countries, and FTO supporters celebrated it,” the FBI said. In 2023, three alleged ISIS sympathizers were arrested for attempting to attack a Pride parade in Vienna, Austria, using knives and a vehicle as part of the attack, the FBI said.
Possible indicators of potential threat activity, the FBI said, include:
- Violent threats made online, in person, or via mail.
- Unusual or prolonged testing or probing of security measures at events or venues.
- Photography of security related equipment, personnel, or access points consistent with pre-operational surveillance without a reasonable alternative explanation.
- Unusual surveillance or interest in buildings, gatherings, or events.
- Attempts to gain access to restricted areas, bypass security, or impersonate law enforcement officials.
- Observation of or questions about facility security measures, including barriers, restricted areas, cameras, and intrusion detection systems without a reasonable alternative explanation.
- Eliciting information from facility personnel regarding the nature of upcoming events, crowd sizes, busiest times of day, etc. without a reasonable alternative explanation.
- Attempts to enter a restricted area, bypass security, or impersonate law enforcement officials.
People can visit the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative (NSI) website for additional information, resources, and training for community partner.
