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NFL Plans Paris Game Despite French Unrest
Confirmed
In Short: The NFL says the Steelers-Saints game scheduled for Paris will proceed as planned despite ongoing civil unrest in France.
The NFL announced Sunday that the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris will go ahead as scheduled, despite widespread protests and civil unrest in France.
Members of the NFL's football operations staff and internal security team have been on the ground in France for several days, and there has been no disruption or impact at any team sites, according to a statement from the league.
The French interior ministry reported that almost 2,400 people were arrested and 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured during protests against the high cost of living that turned violent on Saturday.
Authorities are still working to quell violence as nationwide rallies have descended into widespread chaos and looting.
The Saints were planning to depart for Paris immediately after their game against the New York Giants in New Jersey on Sunday, while the Steelers were scheduled to practice at home and arrive in France on Friday.
The NFL said it is coordinating with local authorities on all aspects of the game, including security, and will continue to provide regular updates to the teams.
The Steelers and Saints are scheduled to play at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, located just north of Paris, on October 25, marking the first-ever regular-season NFL game in France.
Despite the ongoing unrest, the NFL said it is proceeding with the game as planned, with no current plan to move the venue.
The league emphasized that it is closely monitoring the situation and that the decision could change if events warrant it.
The Steelers and Saints are continuing their preparations for the game, with the Steelers planning to practice in Pittsburgh before departing for France on Thursday.
What's confirmed
- "Members of our football operations staff and internal security team have been on the ground in France for the past few days, and there has been no disruption or impact at any of our team sites." The French interior ministry said Sunday that almost 2,400 people were arrested Saturday and 997 police officer and gendarmes were injured as protests against the high cost of living turned violent.
- The Saints were planning to depart for Paris immediately after their game against the New York Giants in New Jersey on Sunday and practice in the French capital during the week.
- "We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There's been no disruption or impact at league sites."
- But the NFL said on Wednesday that the game will go on as scheduled, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints meeting on Oct. 25 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, located just north of Paris.
- "As we do for every NFL game, including our international games, we work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We look forward to welcoming fans to Paris later this month."
- "We're excited for the first-ever regular season game in Paris, and preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France on October 25," the NFL said in a statement earlier this week, via ESPN.
- "In addition to working closely with the NFL, we have also maintained daily security updates with our security partners in France," Bensel said.
- The NFL said that next weekend’s Saints-Steelers game in Paris remains on as scheduled amid the civil unrest.
What's still developing
- Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a global news agency that provides reliable, comprehensive, real-time coverage of the stories shaping our daily lives, drawing on a unique network of journalists based in 210 locations around the world.
- Although the league recently said it plans to proceed amid persistent local unrest, the situation seems to be getting worse.
- On Saturday, more than 1,200 arrests were made after an “ escalation in violence ” that occurred with roughly 550,000 citizens protesting.
- Despite that, it wouldn't surprise anyone if plenty from Steeler Nation were traveling to Europe for the showdown.
- Concern over player, personnel, and fan safety has become the main topic surrounding next week's international game, the first-ever regular-season matchup to take place in France.
- The French government described it as an “escalation in violence,”.
- Reports on Sunday cited arrests climbing from 1,000 to 1,800, including 855 in the Paris region.