The Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in the first-ever NFL game hosted in Paris, France. The game was in question amid the violent riots and protests that have swept the city of Paris due to the cost of living and poor conditions in schools and universities.
Paris burned this weekend as hundreds of thousands flooded the streets across France, in protest of rising living costs and poor conditions in schools. French police arrested over 1,800 violent demonstrators nationwide who set fires, looted, and attacked public buildings, which led French President Emmanuel Macron to hold an emergency meeting with top government officials on Sunday.
The Steelers and the Saints are set to play at the Stade de France, the same venue that hosted the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. CBS Pittsburgh recently posted on social media that the NFL had no plans to change course despite the “unrest,” which drew a reaction from at least one Steelers family member.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt’s wife shared her confusion on Instagram as the matter thickens in Paris and safety and concern rise to the top of mind.
“Tell me how this makes sense???” Dani Watt wrote in response to CBS Pittsburgh’s headline.
Ahead of the game, the NFL issued a statement assuring that preparations were in order for security and safety.
“We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters,” the league said, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites.”
Saints senior vice president of communications Greg Bensel also chimed in via Schefter and agreed with the NFL’s decision to move forward with the game.
“We concur with the NFL’s statement and are planning to play the game,” Bensel said. “In addition to working closely with the NFL, we have also maintained daily security updates with our security partners in France.”
“Members of our football operations staff and internal security team have been on the ground in France for the past few days, and there has been no disruption or impact at any of our team sites.”
The Steelers and the Saints will kick off Sunday’s Week 7 slate in Paris bright and early, with hopes that Paris can resolve disagreements.
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