NFL fans visit Paris in high spirits for Saints vs. Steelers game, undeterred by protests

Sindhu Pandit, Shruti Menon and Pramod Menon, lifelong friends and Saints fans, said they never thought the match would be called off. Pandit said the key to their own travels in the city was to stay informed.

“I think we all received quite a bit of interesting information from the different platforms we subscribed to,” Pandit said. “And in addition to, you know, staying up to date with local news as well, the concierge services at the different hotels were very good at keeping us informed.”

Pramod Menon added that locals were “incredibly hospitable” and attentive to the fact that they were visitors. The friends said they had come to support both the country and their team, a sentiment his wife shared.

“We are so excited to be here in Paris, and what a perfect location for New Orleans, the home of the French,” said Shruti Menon. “And so it’s wonderful to be here.”

Sean Warner, a Steelers fan since 1974, may not share the Menons’ taste in teams, but he also told NBC News that he and his wife, Saroja, were having a “wonderful” time in Paris.

“We were concerned about the riots and everything we had heard about and read about, but honestly it was unbelievable,” he said. “The experience was fantastic. … Paris really tried to work hard to make people feel safe and comfortable and then enjoy the experience.”

The Washington, D.C.-based couple, who have visited Paris several times, spent Saturday walking around the city. Saroja Warner said it was a little sad to see some businesses with boarded up windows, but that the clashes seemed “localized.”

“We walked around Paris all day until about 6 p.m. … and we saw no disturbance, no madness,” she said. “It seemed like a lot of people were trying to have a good time on a rainy day in Paris.”