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Two music giants, U2 and Ed Sheeran, both canceled concerts scheduled for St. Louis, Missouri this weekend as protests in the city entered their second day, following Friday’s acquittal of a former police officer in the shooting death of a black man in 2011.
U2 was set to perform on Saturday night at the city’s Dome at America’s Center. However, citing public safety concerns, the band announced the cancellation in a statement on its website.
"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," the band said. "In light of this information, we cannot in good conscience risk our fans’ safety by proceeding with tonight’s concert."
In a post on the band’s Instagram page, frontman Bono vented his frustration, saying, "I found myself reading Dr. King’s speech from the National Cathedral and asking myself is this 1968 or 2017?"
Chart-topping artist Ed Sheeran sold-out the Scottrade Center for a Sunday night concert. But the event was also canceled due to safety concerns, as local officials "could not fully commit to providing a sufficient amount of police and other city services support," according to a statement posted on the venue’s website. "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."
The US city of St Louis, Missouri is braced for a second day of protests over the acquittal of a former police officer in the shooting death of a black man
A judge in the Missouri city Friday found a white former police officer, Jason Stockley, not guilty of murdering Anthony Lamar Smith, a suspected drug dealer, following a high-speed chase in 2011.
The case has drawn intense attention in St Louis, where racial tensions have been high since the 2014 killing of a black man in the city's suburb of Ferguson by a white police officer.
Hundreds of people turned out for initially peaceful protests after the verdict, but the situation turned violent Friday night, leading police to break up the crowd with tear gas.
Ten officers were injured in the standoff with rock-throwing protesters, according to St. Louis police who made at least 23 arrests.
On Saturday, protesters gathered at a park and then marched through two St Louis shopping malls, chanting "the whole damn system is guilty as hell."
"I can feel for and I understand what the family is going through, and I know everyone wants someone to blame, but I'm just not the guy," Stockley told the St Louis Post-Dispatch.
Stockley, 36, shot Smith, 24, five times December 20, 2011 after a car chase that followed a suspected drug deal.
He was caught on an in-car camera video telling his partner, Brian Bianchi, "Going to kill this (expletive) don't you know it.
Prosecutors brought first degree murder charges in 2016, alleging that Stockley's comments to his partner showed premeditation and alleging he planted a gun in Smith's car after the shooting.
On Friday, Judge Timothy Wilson acquitted Stockley, concluding there was no evidence he had planted the gun and that his video-taped comment lacked context because the portions before and after were inaudible.
(AFP)
