The NFL closed its NFL House in Paris on Saturday as the French capital prepared for street protests. A heavy police presence was deployed in the city, where storefronts were boarded up ahead of the expected demonstrations.
Fans learned about the closure Saturday morning through the league’s OnePass app. The NFL cited “potential accessibility issues.” when explaining the decision.
The NFL House closure followed a similar move involving the league’s pop-up NFL shop. That location was closed one day earlier, with the NFL again citing “potential accessibility issues.”
Security concerns have overshadowed the NFL’s debut in Paris. The New Orleans Saints are scheduled to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Stade de France in the first NFL regular season game held in the country.
The Saints made another change Saturday, announcing that “Saints House has been postponed until Sunday.” No additional details about the postponed event were provided in the announcement included in the source.
NFL House had events scheduled for Saturday before its closure. The planned program included “French Athletes in Football” and “From the Field to the Community.”
Elsewhere in Paris, major museums were closed Saturday. The closures included the Louvre and Orsay Museum, while tourists still lined up to enter Notre Dame Cathedral.
French authorities were focused on preventing a repeat of recent violent unrest. Those preparations included the heavy police presence and boarded storefronts seen as Paris braced for the street protests.
The U.S. State Department issued a security alert during the week that specifically addressed visitors attending the NFL game. It cautioned “Americans in Paris for the NFL game” to “exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings” because of protests.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said preparations for the game were made in consultation with authorities from the United States and France. Addressing the prospect of demonstrations, Goodell said street protests “are not unusual in France.”
Goodell also expressed comfort with the preparations that had been made for the NFL’s first regular season game in the country. His comments came during a week in which security surrounding the league’s Paris debut drew attention.
French President Emmanuel Macron met Friday with Goodell at the Élysée Palace. Saints owner Gayle Benson and Steelers owners Art Rooney II also attended the meeting.
According to the stated purpose of that meeting, the group gathered to “discuss Sunday’s game and the long-term future of the NFL in Paris.” The conversation took place two days before the Saints and Steelers were scheduled to meet at Stade de France.