STEELERS CANCEL PARIS FAN EVENT

The Pittsburgh Steelers cancelled a fan gathering in Paris on Thursday after protests disrupted the Bastille neighbourhood. Steelers House had been planned at a bar there before Sunday’s NFL game against the New Orleans Saints. The Steelers said recent events in Bastille prompted the decision. Nicki Ewell, the NFL’s vice-president for global events, said the club made the call to cancel the event.

The protests began among students about a month ago and widened to include concerns about household budgets, inflation, school conditions and government spending cuts. An estimate put participation in Saturday’s demonstrations at more than 550,000 people. Some protesters clashed with police, set cars alight and attacked public buildings; others marched peacefully. Reported figures put weekend arrests at about 2,400 and said thousands of businesses had been damaged or looted. A historic town hall burned down, and French authorities announced nightly curfews in Paris and other cities.

Steelers owner Art Rooney II arrived in Paris on Thursday after an overnight flight from New York. He told Gerry Dulac that the NFL remained in contact with local security personnel. “They don’t seem to be concerned about it,” Rooney said. He described increased security across the city and police cars around the Arc de Triomphe. The Steelers said preparations for Sunday’s game at Stade de France were continuing, with the NFL working with local authorities and partners on security and operations.