Steelers Fan Event Paris Canceled Amid Security Concerns
The Pittsburgh Steelers called off a planned fan gathering at a bar in Paris’s Bastille neighborhood after recent protests raised security concerns. The NFL…
Security concerns after recent street protests have changed plans for a Pittsburgh Steelers gathering in Paris. The steelers fan event paris was canceled, while the NFL said preparations for its game at Stade de France would continue as planned.
The weekend event was due to take place at a bar in the Bastille neighborhood. The Steelers and the league announced Thursday that it would not go ahead, citing recent events in the area.
The distinction is clear. The fan gathering is off; the game remains on the schedule.
A message sent to fans said: “Following recent events in the Bastille neighborhood, and after careful consideration, we felt it appropriate not to move forward with the planned Steelers House fan event in Paris.” It added that preparations for the NFL Paris game at Stade de France continued as planned, with the league working with local authorities and partners on operational and security matters.
Why the Steelers fan event Paris was called off
Nicki Ewell, the NFL’s vice president for global events, said the club made the decision. She told The Associated Press at NFL House on Thursday that the league distributed the message because it had worked with the team to promote the event.
Ewell said no NFL fan events had been affected. The league’s position, therefore, is that the cancellation applies to the Steelers gathering, not other NFL events.
The team also described the cancellation as a precaution. In a statement to The Associated Press, the Steelers said the league works with local authorities and partners on security arrangements for every game, including international games. The team said there had been no disruptions or impacts at league sites.
“As a precautionary measure, the Steelers designated bar that had been planned in Bastille -- an area that has experienced recent disruptions -- will not proceed,” the statement said.
The bar, identified in the reports as O’Sullivans, had advertised a watch party for Sunday. Its location in Bastille put the planned gathering in an area that had recently experienced disruptions.
Game preparations continue
The cancellation came after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he was comfortable with teams playing in Paris despite the unrest. On Wednesday, Goodell said he had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and that officials remained in contact with Parisian and French authorities.
“We've made all the preparations,” Goodell said. He added: “Protests are not unusual in France, as you know, and that's something that we will be aware of and make sure that the appropriate arrangements are made.”
The NFL’s planned game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints is set to proceed, according to the league and the team. Their statements say work with local authorities and partners on operational and security matters continues.
For people planning to attend, the two announcements mean the bar event will not provide a gathering point for Steelers fans, while the NFL has not announced a change to the game. The league says its sites have not been disrupted, and preparations for the Stade de France game remain in place.
The Steelers fan event at the Bastille-area bar will not proceed.
Source: espn.com
