Pitchfork reports that U2 has canceled a concert scheduled to take place in St. Louis tonight, over security concerns related to protests that have broken out in the city in the wake of the acquittal of Jason Stockley, a white former police officer charged with the 2011 shooting murder of a black man, Lamar Smith. 32 people were reportedly arrested in the city last night, after taking to the streets to vent their frustration at the court’s decision.
U2 and Live Nation issued a statement today, stating that, while they regret the decision, they cannot “in good conscience risk our fans’ safety by proceeding with tonight’s concert” due to the unavailability of police officers or other security personnel to work the event.
We 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. We have also been informed that local crowd security personnel would not be at full capacity. 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.
The band is currently touring on their classic album The Joshua Tree, which celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this year.