Ed Sheeran Cancels Concert in St. Louis Over Safety Concerns

Ed Sheeran
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U2 also canceled their weekend show in the Missouri city.

Ed Sheeran is the latest musician to cancel a concert in St. Louis, Missouri. 

After U2 announced they would not be performing on Saturday, the 26-year-old singer announced on his website that he too would be canceling his show on Sunday due to the protests in the city. 

"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 posted on Sheeran'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."

Tickets for Sheeran's show will be refunded. 

Protesters started marching throughout St. Louis after a judge found former police officer Jason Stockley not guilty of murder in the 2011 shooting and death of Anthony Lamar Smith. The protests escalated on Friday night, with nine officers reported injured and over 32 people arrested.

On Saturday, U2 their frontman, Bono, explained why the band decided to cancel their show. "Deeply saddened at what has happened in St. Louis and having to cancel our show tonight," Bono wrote on Instagram. "I found myself reading Dr. King's speech from the National Cathedral and asking myself, 'Is this 1968 or 2017?'"

U2 also released a statement in regard to canceling the show, reading, "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."

A slew of singers have canceled or postponed shows this summer, including Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. Here are more details into why Bieber canceled the remaining concerts of his Purpose tour: