U2 cancelled a concert tonight in the city of St. Louis, amid growing protests involving the shooting of a black driver by a police officer, and subsequent acquittal.
Jason Stockley, who subsequently left the St. Louis PD, opened fire on Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011. The case, which ended on Friday with Stockley walking free from court, has sparked major protests in the city and led to the arrest of 32 protestors so far in the city.
In a joint statement with LiveNation, U2 said that they "have been informed by the St. Louis Police Department that they are not in a position to provide the standard protection for our audience as would be expected for an event of this size."
"In light of this information, we cannot in good conscience risk our fans’ safety by proceeding with tonight’s concert. As much as we regret having to cancel, we feel it is the only acceptable course of action in the current environment."