The U.S. Embassy in Paris advised Americans in France to steer clear of protests and crowds ahead of weekend demonstrations, citing security risks and possible locally imposed curfews.
In its Oct. 22 notice, the Embassy described recent incidents involving property damage, looting and attacks on police. It said officers had used tear gas while managing crowds. The advisory told Americans to avoid areas with substantial police activity.
Groups had submitted plans for demonstrations on Saturday, Oct. 24, the Embassy said. It warned that march routes could change quickly and gatherings might occur beyond planned routes. Local officials could keep curfews in place or announce new restrictions with little notice. The alert addressed security conditions in France generally and identified no specific threat to the game or its attendees.
The NFL schedule lists the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints for Sunday, Oct. 25, at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CET (9:30 a.m. ET). The stadium bills the matchup as France’s first NFL regular-season contest.
The Associated Press reported that the Steelers canceled a “Steelers House” fan event at a bar in Paris’ Bastille neighborhood. NFL vice president for global events Nicki Ewell told AP that the team made the decision. AP quoted a message to fans saying, “Preparations for Sunday’s NFL Paris game at Stade de France continue as planned.”
The Associated Press also reported that Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said France would deploy 70,000 police officers and gendarmes on Saturday. AP said students, CGT labor union members and Yellow Vest activists planned to demonstrate over living costs. The outlet also drew a comparison with Yellow Vest protests in 2018 and 2019.
EconoTimes previously covered Hong Kong’s France travel alert and local curfews in Paris and Bordeaux. The demonstrations are planned for Oct. 24, one day before the game.
