U2 decided to cancel a concert planned for tonight in St. Louis after Friday night protests following a former police officer's acquittal in a shooting death became violent. Former officer Jason Stockley, who is white, was found not guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Anthony Lamar Smith, who was black. Details on the case are here.
Prosecutors alleged that Stockley, who left the police force in 2013, planted a gun in Smith's car after he shot him. Stockley denied that and testified that he saw Smith holding a gun before the chase began, and that he felt he was in imminent danger when he opened fire, the AP reported.
A group of clergymen warned of unrest ahead of the verdict, should Stockley be found not guilty. What began as a peaceful protest left 10 officers injured, windows at a library, numerous cars and businesses including a Walgreens, Subway and a grocery store smashed, 18 separate fires and Mayor Lyda Krewson's home vandalized, according to updates from the city's police and fire departments and media reports from the scene. Police made 33 arrests stemming from Friday night's incidents.
Mayor Krewson issued a statement Friday afternoon saying she was "appalled at what happened to Anthony Lamar Smith" and that she was "sobered" at the verdict while urging unity.
"I encourage St. Louisans to show each other compassion, to recognize that we all have different experiences and backgrounds and that we all come to this with real feelings and experiences," she said. "We are all St. Louisans. We rise and fall together. As Mayor, I will continue my work to create a more equitable community and do everything possible to keep all St. Louisans safe."
A statement regarding the concert:
"Live Nation and U2 regrettably announce their St. Louis show scheduled for tonight, September 16, 2017 has been cancelled, a statement from the band said. "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."
Fans who purchased tickets online will receive a refund on the credit card tickets were ordered on. Refunds for non-internet purchases will be available starting Monday at 10am at point of purchase."
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