Ed Sheeran and U2 canceled concerts in St. Louis after protests in the city

British musician and singer Ed Sheeran canceled his Sunday show in St. Louis, Missouri for security reasons, the Telegraph reported. Protests occurred after a St. Louis policeman was acquitted of the murder of an African-American man.

U2 also canceled its concert date

The Messina Touring Group said in a statement that Sheeran would definitely return to the city in 2018. The tickets for Sheeran's concert were completely sold out and they will be refunded.

The British musician's show was to be the first event in the Scottrod Center after its restoration. On Saturday, the Irish music band u2 also confirmed the cancellation of the concert in St. Louis.

The band said, "We cannot in good conscience risk our fans' safety by proceeding with tonight’s concert."

U2's member Bono shared his feelings on Instagram, noting that he was "Deeply saddened at what has happened in St. Louis and having to cancel our show tonight," Rolling Stone reported.

He also added that he read the speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and asked himself if it was 1968 or 2017.

Reason why the artists scrapped concerts

On Friday, a judge in St. Louis acquitted former police officer Jason Stockley, who had been accused of murdering 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith six years ago. Because of the lack of evidence, he was acquitted of his charge of first-degree murder, which led to protests in the city.

Police said that the demonstration became illegal as protesters threw stones and broke glass at the mayor's house. The policemen used tear gas and arrested more than 80 people, CNN reported. Prosecutors wanted to lessen the severity of the charge that the court had issued.

On Saturday, protesters marched in the center mall of West County. They were holding banners that read "Black Lives Matter" and "Murder Is Illegal." Later, marchers went to the Taste of St.

Louis and Chesterfield Mall.

Some other events that were canceled this weekend in St. Louis are Mike Birbiglia's concert and performances of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." Lyda Krewson, mayor of St. Louis, said that she was disappointed with the decision of Sheeran and U2.

A group of marchers congregated in the place known as Delmar Loop, which is famous for concert venues, shops, bars, and restaurants, NBC reported. The group became violent, refused to leave, and started breaking windows of the nearby stores, hitting the police with debris.