A dancer who unfurled a Sudanese-Palestinian flag during Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance at the Super Bowl has been permanently barred from all NFL events.
As anticipated, the Super Bowl this year generated a lot of discussion, including speculations, tales, and viral moments. The Kansas City Chiefs’ chances of a three-peat were dashed when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated them 40–22 after losing to them 35–38 the year before.
However, the halftime show often makes news outside of the game, and Kendrick Lamar’s performance this year achieved just that. In addition to a live collaboration with SZA, the 13-minute show featured 11 tracks and cameos from DJ Mustard, Serena Williams, and Samuel L. Jackson. Lamar made sure to create a lot of talk on the internet, especially considering his ongoing spat with Drake.
But there was one particular moment that got people talking even more. In reference to the ongoing crises in both Palestine and Sudan, a man posing as one of Kendrick’s backup dancers unfurled a flag with the words “Gaza” and “Sudan” on it. The person performed this surprising stunt by standing atop a pretend automobile, jumping down, and sprinting across the field. He was swiftly tackled by security, who then took him out the stadium.
Since then, reports have named the individual as Zul-Qarnain Nantambu, and the NFL has verified that he has been banned from all NFL games for life.
The NFL said, “We applaud security for swiftly apprehending the person who raised the flag.” As a member of the 400-person field cast, he had concealed the object on his person until the very end of the performance. His intentions were unknown to everyone working on the production. The person will be permanently barred from all NFL games and stadiums.
Later, Nantambu explained his conduct in an interview with NBC. “And I’m sure it would strengthen their faith to see someone thinking about them and supporting them on such a large platform to raise awareness of their struggles,” he said. “Although we might not have the military might to end the conflict, we can at least try to assist those suffering from these various crimes in these nations.”