NFL House closes in Paris as protests disrupt fan events
The NFL closed its Paris fan hub on Saturday, citing potential access problems as demonstrations disrupted events around the league’s first regular-season game…
Paris — NFL House closed its doors to fans on Saturday as protests disrupted events ahead of the league’s first regular-season game in France. The NFL cited “potential accessibility issues”; the Steelers and Saints were still scheduled to play in Saint-Denis on Sunday.
The closure leaves visiting fans without the league’s main gathering spot as authorities prepare for demonstrations across the French capital. The league notified fans through its OnePass app Saturday morning, one day after closing a city-center pop-up shop for the same stated reason.
The game remains on. Pittsburgh and New Orleans are set to kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET, with the NFL saying it has worked with local authorities on security and operations.
NFL House closure adds to disrupted events
Fan events tied to both teams have been affected. The Saints postponed their gathering, announcing that “Saints House has been postponed until Sunday.” The Steelers had already canceled their Steelers House event at a bar in the Bastille neighborhood on Thursday.
“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,” the Steelers told fans.
The decisions mark a change from earlier assurances. Nicki Ewell, the NFL’s vice president for global events, said Thursday that no league fan events had been affected. The league then shut the pop-up shop and NFL House as protests continued.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said as many as 70,000 officers would be deployed nationwide on Saturday. Paris police approved one march from Bastille to Nation and banned other demonstrations in the city. Authorities also closed 24 metro stations, the Louvre and the Orsay Museum.
Those restrictions have practical consequences for people attending the game: access around central Paris and the fan events may be limited, while visitors have been urged to take care near demonstrations. The US State Department issued a security alert this week telling “Americans in Paris for the NFL game” to “exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings.”
Game preparations continue despite unrest
The protests began in mid-September, with high school students objecting to overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and outdated facilities. Trade unions and the yellow vests movement later joined demonstrations over the rising cost of living. Protests on Oct. 17 drew more than 500,000 people nationwide, and authorities arrested more than 2,000 people in Paris, according to Yahoo Sports.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday he was comfortable with the teams playing safely in Paris. “We've made all the preparations,” Goodell said. “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.”
Peter O'Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president for club business, international and league events, said there was never serious consideration of canceling or moving the game. French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Goodell, Saints owner Gayle Benson and Steelers president Art Rooney II at the Élysée Palace on Friday to discuss the game and the league’s future in Paris.
The teams arrive with recent wins. Pittsburgh beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-19 in overtime last week, while New Orleans ended a three-game losing streak with a 34-27 victory over the New York Giants.
For the NFL, the weekend now combines a major international game with a sharply reduced fan-event schedule and security restrictions across the host city. NFL House’s closure is the latest confirmed change: the hub was shut on Saturday, one day before kickoff.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
