During Sunday night’s Super Bowl halftime show performance from Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar, one of the dancers took the opportunity to run across the field waving a Palestinian flag in protest. And it sounds like that dancer will now face consequences.
During the performance, the dancer – who was one of dozens of dancers clad in identical black sweats – raised a banner that combined the black stripes of the flags honored by the Sudanese and Palestinian peoples with the words “SUDAN” and “GAZA” written on it.
The dancer held the flag high while standing on the roof of the car used in Kendrick Lamar’s performance. He then jumped off the stage and ran across the field for several seconds before he was eventually tackled by several men in suits.
The protest was not planned as the NFL said in a statement that “no one involved with the production was aware of the individual’s intent,” according to the Associated Press.
Roc Nation – the entertainment company that produced the halftime show – also released a statement where they said that the display was not “neither planned nor part of the production and was never in any rehearsal.”
The NFL said that the cast member hid the flag before the performance, acting by himself.
While New Orleans Police have already confirmed that no charges will be filed from the incident, the NFL also announced that the individual has been given a lifetime ban from league stadiums and events.
United States President Donald Trump was in attendance at the Super Bowl, but it’s not clear whether or not he saw the halftime performance.
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