U2, Ed Sheeran cancel concerts in St. Louis amid protests

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- 

Two big names have canceled concerts in St. Louis following a night of protests.

 U2 announced the cancellation on their website Saturday morning, citing safety concerns. 

"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." 

Later Saturday, Bono posted on U2's Instagram saying he was "deeply saddened at what has happened in St. Louis and having to cancel our show tonight....I found myself reading Dr. King's speech from the National Cathedral and asking myself is this 1968 or 2017?"

 

Deeply saddened at what has happened in St. Louis and having to cancel our show tonight….I found myself reading Dr. King’s speech from the National Cathedral and asking myself is this 1968 or 2017? - Bono “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 fulfillment; to make the invisible visible.”

A post shared by U2 Official (@u2) on Sep 16, 2017 at 12:07pm PDT

Saturday afternoon, Ed Sheeran's concert at Scottrade Centerwas also canceled. 

“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. 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.”

Fans who purchased tickets online will receive automatic refunds. Refunds for tickets bought through the box office will be available starting Monday at 10 a.m.

For a complete list of St. Louis cancellations, visit NBC affiliate KSDK's website.