Ed Sheeran cancels St. Louis concert amid protests over police acquittal

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s Sunday night concert in St. Louis has been canceled in the wake of violent protests over the acquittal of a former police officer charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a black man.

Sheeran’s tour promoter cited security concerns as the reason for the cancelation.

“With the safety of the fans being of upmost concern, and after consulting with local officials, who could not fully commit to providing a sufficient amount of police and other city services support, we felt it was in everyone’s best interest to cancel Sunday night’s show,” Messina Touring Group said in a statement. “While we regret to have had to come to this decision, we do look forward to returning to St. Louis as soon as Ed’s schedule will allow in 2018.”

Tickets for the concert will be refunded.

The cancelation came on the heels of U2 pulling the plug on a Saturday night stadium show in; country singer Will Hoge and comedian Mike Birbiglia also postponed performances this weekend.

The unrest in St. Louis began Friday after former police officer Jason Stockley, who is white, was found not guilty in the 2011 killing of Anthony Lamar Smith after a bench trial with no jury. The resulting protests saw dozens arrested, several police officers injured, and a window broken at the mayor’s home.