Steelers fan event in Paris canceled as "precautionary measure" after riots
A Steelers fan event in Bastille has been canceled "as a precautionary measure" amid civil unrest, though kickoff against the Saints is still scheduled for Sunday, the team confirmed.
In a statement on Thursday, the team said the Steelers designated bar planned in Bastille will be canceled because it's in "an area that has experienced recent disruptions."
The NFL has maintained that it's confident with its security plans for the game at Stade de France, which is about 5 miles away from Bastille.
"The NFL, as they do for every game, including international games, is working closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters," the Steelers' statement said. "As stated by the NFL, there have been no disruptions or impacts at League sites."
Steelers fans have been grappling with whether to make the trip. Earlier this week, KDKA talked to a couple from Baltimore who said they had been there since Oct. 5 and they didn't foresee making changes to their plans. But another Steelers fan decided to switch his trip to Madrid and Barcelona, saying he thinks going to Paris is "a roll of the dice."
The U.S. Department of State has issued a travel advisory for France, urging travelers to exercise increased caution "due to terrorism and unrest."
"That has a lot of different reasons, including but not limited to the demonstrations that have occurred in France, some of which have become violent," State Department deputy spokesman Luke Ortega said.
Ortega said the agency is in touch with the NFL to make sure all goes according to plan.
"Over the course of the past 24 hours, we've seen Secretary Rubio in contact directly with the NFL," Ortega said. "This is of course going to be a priority for us to make sure that this can move forward in a way that's going to give information to Americans to remain safe there."
French authorities are extending curfews and increasing police presence in public spaces after rioters torched buildings and looted thousands of businesses this past weekend. With more demonstrations scheduled for Saturday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu promised a "massive" police deployment.
Ortega acknowledged plans for more demonstrations and said people in France should try to avoid them.
"Listen to the recommendations that they're getting from local authorities, and to make sure that their time in France is safe and that they're taking care of themselves," Ortega said.
According to him, the most important thing you can do is to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP.
"It's a way for you to get really kind of live updates from the embassy, from our consulate there, about any kind of security situations that you need to be aware of," Ortega said.
Also, he encourages you to learn a little about the country and take a look at delays to public transportation.
