NFL closes Paris fan hub as protests shadow first regular-season game in France

The NFL shut its fan hub in Paris on Saturday, citing potential accessibility issues, as nationwide protests in France overshadow Sunday's Steelers-Saints game at the Stade de France, the league's first regular-season game in the country.

The NFL closed its NFL House fan hub in Paris on Saturday, citing "potential accessibility issues," a day after shutting its city-center pop-up shop for the same reason, as protests across France cast a shadow over the league's first regular-season game in the country.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) and the New Orleans Saints (2-4) meet Sunday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, with kickoff set for 9:30 a.m. ET. The Saints postponed their own fan gathering until Sunday, while the Steelers canceled a fan event planned for Thursday in the Bastille neighborhood, citing recent events in the area.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks at a podium

The unrest began in mid-September with high school students protesting overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and aging facilities, and grew as trade unions and the yellow vest movement joined over the rising cost of living. More than 500,000 people took part in demonstrations nationwide on Oct. 17. For Saturday, the interior minister said up to 70,000 officers would be deployed across France. Authorities closed 24 metro stations, the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, and a Paris soccer match was postponed at police request. The U.S. State Department issued a security alert urging Americans attending the game to exercise caution.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday he was comfortable with the game and that protests are common in France, and NFL executive Peter O'Reilly said canceling or moving the game was never seriously considered. Goodell, Saints owner Gayle Benson and Steelers president Art Rooney II met President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on Friday. President Donald Trump said the game "could have probably been postponed," while Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he trusts the league's security assessment.

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