Ed Sheeran pulls out of sold-out St Louis concert over citywide protests

ED Sheeran has become the latest star to pull out of performances in St Louis, Missouri, after protests sparked a safety concern for concertgoers. The 26-year-old Thinking Out Loud singer was due to play a sold-out concert in the city’s Scottrade Centre, but as the protests in the city turned violent, show planners cancelled the gig.

A statement released by Messina Touring Group said: “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.

“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.”

Ed is following in the footsteps of U2 – who also cancelled their Saturday night gig for the same reason. The Irish rockers were advised to scrap the show as police were redirected from the venue to deal with the violence. Protests broke out in the city on Friday after a former St Louis police officer was acquitted from a first-degree murder charge after fatally shooting African-American driver Anthony Lamar Smith six years ago.

A night of mostly peaceful demonstrations soon escalated into scattered acts of vandalism and violence.

Angry demonstrators broke a window and threw red paint at the home of the city’s Mayor Lyda Krewson, and police have used tear gas in a bid to disperse the crowds. One set of photos saw an elderly woman being knocked to the ground by officers as she tried to escape the area.

U2 issued a statement apologising to fans, but insisting they had no choice but to cancel the gig. It explained: “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.