The NFL is not blinking on Paris.
Six days before the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints kick off the league’s first regular-season game in France, the NFL confirmed it will proceed as planned at Stade de France, just north of the capital. The confirmation came after Saturday’s demonstrations spilled into widespread violence in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and other cities.
“Preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France next Sunday,” the league said in its statement.
“We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters.”
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The Saints have adopted the same position. Team spokesperson Greg Bensel said the organisation concurs with the NFL and plans to play, adding that the Saints’ own security team on the ground in Paris has reported no disruptions.
Protests leave 1,800 arrested across France
The protests, called in response to the rising cost of living and the state of French schools, drew around 550,000 people according to authorities, with organizers putting the number at 800,000. More than 1,800 people were arrested nationwide, with the Paris region accounting for 855 of those and 557 kept in police custody.
More than 500 police, gendarmes and firefighters were wounded. In Limoges, protesters set fire to the 19th-century city hall. Hundreds of businesses were looted in the capital, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux.
French President Emmanuel Macron drew a hard line in his response.
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“Those who looted will have to pay back for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable,” Macron said.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez made the same distinction between protest and destruction.
“The right to protest is a fundamental right. Deliberately and collectively sowing disorder through violence is not,” Nuñez said.
US travel advisory in force as league distributes safety map
American fans heading to the game are flying into a country already under a US State Department Level 2 advisory, which asks travellers to exercise increased caution because of terrorism and civil unrest. The advisory tells Americans to remain vigilant in crowded venues, avoid protest sites and areas with significant police activity, and follow instructions from local authorities.
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To reassure travelling supporters, the league has also distributed a safety map to fans that shows the protest activity has largely been contained to a triangle in central Paris, while Stade de France sits in Saint-Denis, several miles to the north of that zone.
Travel plans unchanged
Both teams are sticking to their scheduled itineraries. The Saints are set to fly directly to Paris after Sunday’s game against the New York Giants in New Jersey, while the Steelers will leave Pittsburgh for France on Thursday.
Kick-off at Stade de France is at 2:30pm local time on Sunday, 25 October.
