The decision was made to go ahead with today’s Panthers-Vikings game, despite an uneasy week in Charlotte following the police shooting of Keith Scott.
But even if the game is played, there might not be a full house at kickoff, as reports have emerged of protestors wanting to disrupt the flow of traffic into Bank of America Stadium.
According to Adam Rhew of Charlotte Magazine, protestors in uptown Charlotte are putting out word they hope to block enough traffic to keep players and fans from entering the stadium as normal by disrupting traffic on I-277 (which circles uptown). Earlier this morning, the crowd at Marshall Park was small and not the kind that would tie up many intersections.
There are extra security forces on the ground to keep things running smoothly, as the city of Charlotte declared today’s game an “extraordinary event,” which allows them to bring in more law enforcement personnel.
The National Guard was called in last week, after protests turned violent Wednesday night. Since then, things have remained largely peaceful, though the declaration of a midnight curfew and many uptown businesses closing has limited the amount of traffic in the area around government buildings and the stadium. Troops have already set up outside Bank of America Stadium.
Getting 70,000 extra people in and out of the area is a logistical challenge on a normal day, and bears watching over the next few hours.