Rodgers: NFL would cancel Paris game if protests made it unsafe

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on Friday that the NFL, the American football league, would have cancelled its first regular-season game in Paris if conditions were unsafe. The Steelers play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, October 25, at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, about 10 kilometres from central Paris. The match is the first NFL regular-season game in the French capital, and it comes amid widespread protests across the country.

France saw some of its worst urban unrest in years last weekend. On Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron tightened restrictions on protests, fearing that demonstrations planned for Saturday could turn violent.

Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, told a press conference he believes the league is alert to what is happening. He said the game means a great deal to the NFL and that, if it were unsafe, the teams would not be there. He said he was confident the game would go ahead as planned.

Events cancelled

The Steelers told fans on Thursday that their "Steelers House" fan event in the Bastille neighbourhood would not take place. The US State Department issued a security alert on Thursday night urging citizens to avoid demonstrations and areas of unrest and to exercise caution. The NFL pop-up store in Paris will be closed on Saturday.

Many American and other foreign visitors have travelled to watch the game. Fred Zelt, a 67-year-old Steelers fan, said the city seemed calm to him, although shops were boarding up their windows. Fabian Bauer, a 28-year-old Saints fan who travelled from Germany, said he and his parents debated at length whether to come, but concluded it was likely to be safe, especially on Sunday.

Storm disrupts preparations

Storm Austen has also disrupted preparations. Meteo France, the national weather agency, issued orange alerts for much of the northwest, including the Paris region. The Steelers cancelled their practice at the stadium and held their press conference at their hotel. The Saints closed their practice in Versailles to media, and the NFL cancelled its "NFL Experience Paris" fan event for the day.