Paris museums close, shops build barricades ahead of more protests

Paris Saint-Germain's home Ligue 1 match against Lyon, scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed until Monday, the French league announced following a request from police. The league's LFP noted the police decree prohibiting the match at 8:45 pm and decided to reschedule it for Monday at 8:30 pm. Paris police are reallocating resources as authorities prepare for additional protests across France following years of urban violence sparked by demonstrations against rising living costs.

Since the initial unrest, curfews have been implemented in parts of Paris and other cities to deter violence. France's Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, announced on Friday that around 70,000 security personnel will be deployed nationwide this weekend, warning of circulating calls for violence and looting on social media. Several Paris museums, including the Louvre, have announced closure on Saturday, and Art Basel Paris, the largest annual art fair in the city, will close two days early due to protest risks.

The date change for the PSG fixture could cause scheduling issues, as it conflicts with the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on Monday evening. Ten PSG players are among 30 nominees for this prestigious individual football award, including last year's winner Ousmane Dembele. Last year, PSG faced a similar situation when their match against Marseille was postponed by 24 hours due to storms.

Despite the postponement, the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm (1330 GMT) at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, is expected to proceed as planned. This week, another French top-flight football match between Toulouse and Troyes was also postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to police requests.