Paris protests force Steelers to cancel fan event ahead of historic NFL game

Sunday’s historic game at Stade de France will proceed as planned, with the NFL working alongside local authorities and increasing security

When the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints meet on Sunday in the NFL's first regular-season game hosted in Paris, they will do so with an intense civil unrest as the backdrop. Protests in the French capital will not impact the NFL Week 7 game, but they did lead to the cancellation of a fan event. The Steelers announced on Thursday that they will not hold the scheduled Steelers House gathering due to the protests. The event was scheduled to unfold over the weekend near the Bastille. There is an authorized march scheduled to begin at Place de la Bastille on Saturday. Sunday's game, meanwhile, will unfold at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, which is located just under six miles from the center of Paris and away from the scheduled demonstrations.

"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 said in a statement. "Preparations for Sunday's NFL Paris game at State de France continue as planned, with the NFL working closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters." There have thus far been no disruptions at NFL sites in the lead-up to Sunday's contest. While concerns over fan and player safety heightened over the