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Americans in Paris have been warned to "exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings" ahead of an NFL game on Sunday amid violent protests across France.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints will play the NFL's first game in Paris on Sunday. The U.S. State Department issued a security alert on Thursday, telling Americans in France to "avoid demonstrations and areas of unrest," and to "stay away from areas with large crowds or significant police activity."
Multiple protest groups have submitted plans for demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday. But the State Department warned that "last-minute changes can happen and protests can occur outside planned routes."
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It added: "recent demonstrations were violent and involved heavy property destruction, uncontrolled looting, and attacks on police. Police responded with crowd control methods including tear gas."
Demonstrations against living costs and school conditions have rocked France since late September, with many featuring arson attacks, barricades, and violent clashes with the police.
US Warning in Detail
The U.S. State Department issued a Level 2 travel advisory for France earlier this month, telling Americans to "exercise increased caution due to terrorism and unrest."
Its Thursday update in the wake of the upcoming NFL game also warns that there are curfews in parts of France, including some neighborhoods in Paris, that could continue into the weekend.
"Curfew decisions are made locally, can be implemented with short notice, and restrict gatherings and free movement to some public landmarks," it said.
The warning also pointed to the French government saying it would "take steps to curb ‘illegitimate’ protests, while those organized by groups such as trade unions would be allowed to proceed."
This was in reference to French President Emmanuel Macron blaming "political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic" for the violence seen across the country last weekend.
On Saturday, at least 550,000 people took the streets all over France, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who said 1,800 people were arrested and more than 500 police officers and firefighters were injured at the time.
Shops were looted while cars and trash cans were set alight in multiple cities. A city hall built in 1883 in Limoges, around 250 miles south of Paris, was largely destroyed after it was engulfed in flames.
Macron said in an address on Thursday, after a meeting with intelligence chiefs and senior ministers, that authorities would crack down on "illegitimate" protests.
Demonstrations planned in the cities of Marseille and Lyon have been banned, Reuters reports.
France's main student union, UNEF, has called for protests on Saturday, while the "Yellow Vest movement," which emerged in 2018 against social injustice and has since rallied some of the current demonstrations, has filed plans for a march through central Paris.
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Trump and Vance Blame Immigration
Both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have blamed immigration for the violence in France.
Last weekend, Trump urged France to close its borders in a post on Truth Social saying: "France is burning! The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country. Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!"
Similarly, Vance, blamed "western liberals" for "import[ing] the third world" in a post on X, telling Americans that this is the "future congressional Democrats seek for your country."
Demonstrators point to their widespread frustration and anger at the government as gasoline, energy and food prices have spiked in recent months. Household budgets have been squeezed by energy prices, 21.3 per cent higher in September than a year earlier, and a 25.7 per cent rise in petrol prices, according to the national statistics agency INSEE. Unemployment reached 8.3 per cent in the second quarter, up from 7.6 per cent from last year.
Interior Minister Nuñez is one of several French officials who has blamed "extremely violent, radical far-left groups" for stoking violence in the demonstrations, many of which started out peacefully.
NFL Game in Paris
As part of the NFL’s efforts to expand internationally, it decided to hold its first fixture in France at the Stade de France, in the outskirts of Paris in Saint-Denis. The league estimates it has more than 14 million fans in France.
With all the recent disorder, there was speculation the game might be cancelled, but NFL Executive Vice President Peter O'Reilly said on Tuesday that “there was never a point that the game was in danger of not being played at Stade de France.”
“There’s nothing more important from our standpoint than the teams’ security, the fans’ security -- everybody involved with this game,” O’Reilly said. “Obviously being very vigilant in everything we do, in all of our planning on an hour-by-hour basis, working closely with the two teams.”
The Saints traveled directly to Paris after playing at the New York Giants last Sunday. The Steelers were set to arrive Friday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time, 9:30 a.m. ET.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and Tony Phillips.
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