Steelers Fans Continue Paris Trips Despite Protests

Reports of protests and rioting across France have raised concerns among international visitors, but Pittsburgh Steelers fans traveling to Paris for an overseas football game have continued exploring the city. In interviews published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on October 22, 2026, several fans said their experiences on the ground differed from alarming social media videos.

Demonstrations across France intensified in recent weeks, with more than 800,000 people reportedly participating in protests throughout Paris last weekend. Some demonstrations escalated into riots, damaging local businesses and leaving broken windows and burned debris in parts of the city, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's reporting.

Mary and Brian Storgaard, a couple from Sturgis, South Dakota, booked their trip months in advance to watch their team play abroad. The couple, recognizable in bright yellow and black Steelers jackets, said they had encountered few difficulties while visiting Paris.

Mary described how social media recommendations influenced her perception of the unrest.

"It's just what you believe on the internet," Mary said. "The algorithm is what it is. I pressed on something bad one day and that's all that came up. I went back to the good and then that's what came up.

"I was more worried about just traveling around in a new country where I don't speak the native language, but that's been easy. Honestly, all of this has been easy."

The Storgaards' experience reflected the accounts of other Steelers supporters interviewed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, including visitors with different levels of international travel experience.

Bob and Karen Granger, who live in London, Ontario, regularly travel during the fall to follow the Steelers. After enjoying a trip to Ireland the previous year, they arranged to attend the Paris game as soon as possible. Karen initially had reservations after seeing videos of protests circulating online.

Bob said the arrival of another NFL team helped reassure the couple that their trip could proceed as planned.

"We knew when they flew here Sunday night that we'd probably be good," Bob said.

Collin Heaney, from Warwick, Rhode Island, had been saving for the trip since the previous year's game in Ireland. He arrived in Paris on Wednesday with his friend Berat Kales, and both said their initial impressions did not match the level of concern they had seen online.

Heaney questioned whether some media coverage had overstated the situation while acknowledging that unrest had occurred.

"I feel like sometimes the media has this idea to blow some things out of proportion," Heaney said. "I'm not saying there isn't something going on. A lot of people have made everything happening sound like a very big deal. But after my own research, it didn't seem that bad."

During their first day in Paris, Heaney and Kales noticed visible signs of the previous weekend's disturbances. Heaney saw a French police officer carrying an AK-47 outside a government building, while the two friends also observed broken storefront windows and scattered piles of burned debris.

Despite those observations, Heaney said walking around the city had not made him feel threatened.

"Walking around, everything seems fine," Heaney said. "It all seems safe."