Irish rock legends U2 have been forced to cancel an upcoming concert in St Louis because of the violent protests currently taking place.
‘Is this 1968 or 2017?’ was the question posed by frontman Bono in a statement released by the band to announce their decision.
U2 collectively decided that cancelling their gig was the best action, given the unrest in the city following the not guilty verdict for white ex-police officer Jason Stockley, who was accused of murder after shooting black man Anthony Lamar Smith.
The verdict has been followed by violent protests in St Louis, leading to dozens more arrests.
The U2 statement quoted the words of 1960s civil rights activist Martin Luther King. It read: “Human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability…. we are coming to ask America to be true to the huge promissory note that it signed years ago.
“And we are coming to engage in dramatic nonviolent action, to call attention to the gulf between promise and fulfilment; to make the invisible visible.”
Security experts said cancelling the gig was the only sensible course of action, because the St. Louis Police Department would not have the resources to police the concert and deal with the unrest taking place in the city.
The U2 statement concluded: “As much as we regret having to cancel, we feel it is the only acceptable course of action in the current environment.”
Although fans are disappointed at missing out on seeing the rock legends, most have accepted it is the right decision in the circumstances and praised the band for their responsible stance.
U2 forced to cancel St Louis gig due to violent protests