Irish rock band U2 was forced to cancel its St. Louis concert scheduled Saturday over security concerns after Black Lives Matter activists clashed with police following the not guilty verdict of Jason Stockley in the shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith.
“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,” U2 announced in a statement. “In light of this information, we cannot in good conscience risk our fans’ safety by proceeding with tonight’s concert.”
Black Lives Matter agitators surrounded St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson’s home late Friday, throwing rocks and paint and shattered windows, St. Louis, MO, police confirmed.
Agitators have converged on Mayor Krewson's house. Throwing rocks and breaking windows, despite being instructed not to. #STLVerdict
— St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) September 16, 2017
Officers quickly deployed tear gas to disperse the violent crowd.
Police deploy tear gas near Mayor Krewson’s home in the Central West End. Agitators are breaking her windows and smearing paint on her home pic.twitter.com/cVaUlHcdU5
— FOX2now (@FOX2now) September 16, 2017
The activists turned their attention toward officers on the scene, reportedly injuring nine city police officers and one State Highway Patrol officer. More than 30 activists were arrested, according to ABC News.
JUST IN: our cameras captured agitators hurling a brick toward a line of police, striking an officer & knocking them down. @ksdknews pic.twitter.com/I8SfDdLE5R
— Jacob Long (@JacobLongTV) September 16, 2017
The activists were also caught on camera burning the American flag.
The acquittal of former officer Jason Stockley in Smith’s death had caused concerns among officials about possible violence in the city for weeks.
U2 is currently on tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their iconic 1987 album Joshua Tree. The band’s frontman Bono blasted President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind the DACA amnesty program on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this month.
“It’s a strange place we find ourselves in. It’s dangerous out there when you have a little emperor there with a bad haircut and his finger on the nuclear arsenal. And a lot of people in silly costumes following me around. And then you have the dude from North Korea,” Bono said about Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
U2 says all fans will get a full refund.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
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