Gayle Benson Gives Safety Assurance for Saints Game
New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson said she had no safety concerns as the NFL prepares to play its first game in Paris. The matchup with the Pittsburgh…
Protests and damage to businesses have raised concerns about the NFL’s first game in Paris. New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson said she had no safety concerns, while the league says the matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers will proceed as planned.
The game is scheduled for Sunday morning at Stade de France, four miles north of Paris. As of Tuesday afternoon, the game and the major events leading up to it remained on schedule, according to NOLA.com.
“We do not have any concerns,” Benson said in a phone interview, according to NOLA.com. She said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise had kept her updated on the situation and was in contact with high-level officials in both countries.
League says Paris plans remain in place
Brett Gosper, the NFL’s head of Europe and Asia-Pacific, said Tuesday in Paris that the league had no contingency plan to move the game to another location. He also said the unrest was not expected to affect game logistics.
“All systems go — totally all systems go,” Gosper said.
The assurance follows a weekend of protests across France. Groups set fires and looted businesses in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities. The unrest followed nationwide protests on Saturday over rising living costs and conditions in schools.
French authorities estimated on Monday that 2,400 people had been arrested and at least 3,000 businesses damaged or looted in several cities, NOLA.com reported. Local authorities also imposed an overnight curfew in two Paris neighborhoods on Monday night to try to prevent further violence.
For fans traveling to the game, the immediate question is whether scheduled events and match-day logistics will change. So far, league and team officials say they will not. The statements indicate that preparations are continuing, but the source reports no specific security measures or travel guidance for attendees.
Game is part of wider NFL push in France
The Saints flew to France after beating the Giants in New York on Sunday, the same day President Emmanuel Macron addressed the country as riots spread through Paris and other cities. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, Mayor Helena Moreno, other local and state leaders, and thousands of Saints fans were also arriving in France, according to NOLA.com.
The matchup is the first NFL game in Paris. The league sees it as part of a long-term effort to grow its international fan base. The Saints, who hold marketing rights in France and secured the chance to play there two years ago, have spent much of the past year preparing through grassroots outreach, player appearances and flag football leagues.
The game also carries business interests for Louisiana. The state’s economic development arm and local companies planned to use the occasion to connect with European companies and executives. On Tuesday, officials with LED were preparing for a daylong business expo called Louisiana Now.
The league had already said it was working with local authorities and partners on operational and security matters for its games, in comments reported by ESPN and carried in the supplied source material. NOLA.com’s account says the scheduled Paris events and the game remained on track as of Tuesday afternoon.
The French authorities’ estimate was at least 3,000 businesses damaged or looted.
Source: nola.com
