A performer who was part of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday will be banned from all NFL stadiums and events for life after unfurling a flag with the words “Sudan” and “Gaza” on it in an apparent protest of the wars in the Middle East.
The league said the individual was part of the 400-member field cast and “hid the item on his person and unveiled it late in the show.”
The individual, who has not been publicly identified, was seen holding the flag while standing on a car used as a main prop after Lamar performed “Not Like Us.” The words “Sudan” and “Gaza” were written on the white portion of the flag, which also had a heart and fist on it.
Security personnel detained the individual, according to the NFL, which said that “no one involved with the production was aware of the individual’s intent.”
Security escorts a protestor off the field as Kendrick Lamar performs during the Super Bowl halftime show. (Photo: Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images)
Video on social media showed the individual jumping from the car, and then running from the stage before being tackled to the ground by security and escorted off the field.
A representative from Roc Nation, which produced the show, said the act was “neither planned nor part of the production and was never in any rehearsal.”
The New Orleans Police Department told the Associated Press that “law enforcement is working to determine applicable charges in this incident.” The branch did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday morning about the possible charges the individual is facing.
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(Top photo: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
