A planned Pittsburgh Steelers fan event scheduled for Sunday in Paris has been canceled amid civil unrest in the French capital.
The Steelers and New Orleans Saints are scheduled to play the NFL’s first regular-season game in Paris on Sunday at Stade de France. Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday that he was confident in the security plan for the game.
“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.”
However, the league and the Steelers opted to cancel the Steelers House fan event. The organizations announced the decision Thursday in a joint statement.
“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,” a message posted to X read.
Protests in France began Sept. 17, with demonstrators marching peacefully to protest poor conditions in schools. People angered by the rising cost of living later joined the demonstrations.
Last weekend, some protests turned violent as rioters set fire to a historic city hall and cars, and looted high-end boutiques. In the Bastille neighborhood, stores were broken into and fires were set.