Paris, October 23 (Albania Journal) – The NFL will close its pop-up store in Paris on Saturday due to planned demonstrations in the French capital ahead of Sunday’s regular-season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints, the league said on Friday.
The store on Rue Saint-Merri had been operating as part of events organised around Sunday’s game at the Stade de France, which will be the first NFL regular-season match held in France.
“The NFL Shop on Rue Saint-Merri will be closed tomorrow Saturday 24 October, due to potential accessibility issues,” the league said in a statement.
Located in Paris’ fourth arrondissement in the city centre, the store will remain open until 8 p.m. local time on Friday. An alternative NFL pop-up store will operate at the Stade de France on Saturday, the league added.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have also cancelled a fan event scheduled for the weekend at a bar on Place de la Bastille amid concerns over the planned demonstrations.
France experienced some of its worst urban unrest in recent years last weekend. In response, President Emmanuel Macron’s government tightened restrictions on protests as authorities prepared for the possibility of further violence on Saturday.
Sunday’s game will take place in Saint-Denis, about 10 km north of central Paris. Organisers are continuing preparations for the match despite disruptions elsewhere in the capital.
Concerns about renewed unrest have also prompted several major cultural venues, including the Louvre, to close on Saturday. The Art Basel Paris fair will remain closed throughout the weekend.
