President Donald Trump raised concerns Friday about the NFL’s first regular-season game in Paris, saying the league “could have probably postponed” the matchup as France faces another weekend of protests and unrest. The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are scheduled to play Sunday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris. The NFL said that the game is going ahead as planned despite the unrest.
Speaking to reporters Friday morning, Trump said he was worried about what could happen in France over the weekend. That’s what you’re gonna have.” Trump’s comments came after the State Department warned Americans in France to exercise caution as demonstrations are expected over the weekend. The warning has drawn additional attention ahead of Sunday’s game.
Asked for further details about Trump’s concerns, the White House referred Newsweek to the president’s comments on Friday. Newsweek also reached out to the NFL and the French Embassy in Washington for comment on Friday. The Steelers and Saints are scheduled to meet on Sunday at the Stade de France.
The NFL’s official game information continues to list the event, with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. local time. Speaking at the NFL’s annual fall owners meeting in New York on Tuesday, NFL Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly said there “was never a point that the game was in danger of not being played at Stade de France.” The NFL has said security will be heightened for the game, with officials coordinating with Paris and French national authorities as well as the U.S. League security officials, including Senior Vice President of Security Cathy Lanier, have also been on the ground in France.
The league previously said preparations were continuing as scheduled and that it was working with local authorities and providing updates to the Steelers and Saints. The State Department issued a security alert Thursday urging Americans in France to “exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings” and to avoid demonstrations and areas experiencing unrest. It warned Americans to stay away from “areas with large crowds or significant police activity” and said demonstrations scheduled for Saturday and Sunday could change course on short notice.
The department had earlier placed France under a Level 2 travel advisory, advising Americans to “exercise increased caution due to terrorism and unrest.” The latest warning said curfews were in effect in parts of France, including some neighborhoods in Paris, and could remain in place into the weekend. Multiple protest groups have submitted plans for demonstrations. France’s main student union, UNEF, has called for protests Saturday, while the Yellow Vest movement has filed plans for a march through central Paris.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
