The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are set to play the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Paris on Sunday. But with protests and riots continuing across France, there are growing calls for the league to call an audible.
NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is among those urging the NFL to change its plans, urging the league to relocate the game to London, arguing that even if the stadium itself is secure, it isn’t safe for fans to be in Paris right now.
Unrest In France
Protests in France began in mid-September with high school students decrying the state of education and have since grown to include demonstrations over the cost of living and rising fuel prices. Last weekend, the protests turned into the most violent riots the country has seen in decades, with nearly 2,400 arrests, according to The Athletic.
More than 70,000 police officers are being deployed around France this weekend, and Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 match against Lyon was pushed back a day. The Steelers have already canceled their fan event in the Bastille neighborhood, and concerns have been raised by several people involved.
On Friday, President Donald Trump even weighed in as he claimed that the league could have postponed the game.
“I would have said the NFL could have probably postponed that match, if you want to know, because France is really in trouble,” Trump said.
‘Isn’t Worth It’
In a column on Saturday, Florio wrote that the NFL “shouldn’t wait one hour more to relocate the game.”
“No matter how safe and secure Stade de France will be for the game, it’s not safe for NFL fans to be in Paris due to protests that from time to time morph into full-blown riots,” Florio wrote, via Pro Football Talk.
Florio pointed out that the NFL has also closed its “NFL House” event in Paris, and that the U.S. State Department issued a security alert urging Americans in town for the game to “exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings.”
“Why would the NFL insist on pressing forward? The risk, however big or small it may be, isn’t worth it,” Florio wrote.
He also noted that even with enhanced security at the stadium, fans will still have to get there, and that “security resources that could be utilized elsewhere in the city are being devoted to something that is far from a necessity.”
If the league won’t move the game to London, Florio suggested that French authorities should push it to Monday, just like they did with PSG’s match.
“It’s surprising that it’s gotten to this point. The warning signs have been obvious for weeks,” Florio wrote. “And if there’s even one incident in connection with playing the game as planned, the NFL will risk being dubbed what the French call les incompétents.”
As of Saturday, the NFL has said the game will go on as scheduled. Clearly, not everyone thinks that’s the right call.
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