Hip-hop star LL Cool J said late Thursday he would not headline Philadelphia’s free Wawa Welcome America concert on 4 July, citing the city’s ongoing walkout by AFSCME District Council 33 and declaring, “There is absolutely no way I can perform across a picket line.” Hours later, R&B singer and Philadelphia native Jazmine Sullivan also withdrew, stating she would “stand with Philly’s DC 33 until the city and union find a way to bring fair living wages to our working class.” District Council 33, which represents roughly 9,000 sanitation workers, 911 dispatchers, street-repair crews and other municipal employees, has been on strike since 1 July after contract talks collapsed. Piled-up trash and curtailed city services have underscored the dispute, which centres on wage increases and health-care benefits. Union president Greg Boulware praised the entertainers’ decision as “a powerful testament to respect for workers’ rights.” Mayor Cherelle Parker said she spoke with both artists and “respects” their stance, while insisting the city will not jeopardize its fiscal stability to resolve the impasse. Negotiations paused Thursday with no date set to resume. City crews continued preparing the Benjamin Franklin Parkway stage, and organisers said remaining acts— including JoJo and Álvaro Díaz—would proceed. LL Cool J indicated he will stay in Philadelphia in case an eleventh-hour settlement allows him to perform, but for now the holiday concert lacks its two marquee names.