A protester who unfurled the Palestinian and Sudanese flags during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance has received a lifetime ban from NFL stadiums. The unnamed protester was part of a 400-member field cast and had hidden the flag on himself before the show began on Sunday (Feb 9) night at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
"The individual hid the item on his person and unveiled it late in the show. No one involved with the production was aware of the individual's intent. The individual will banned for life from all NFL stadiums and events," the NFL said in a statement.
Images and videos going viral on social media showed the protester waving the flag after Mr Lamar's performance of his Grammy-winning song, "Not Like Us". "Sudan" and "Gaza" were written on the flights along with a heart and a solidarity fist.
The protester stood atop a car that was being used as a proper in the performance. Clips showed the security personnel detaining the performer shortly after he unfurled the flag.
Roc Nation, the entertainment company behind the halftime show, said in a statement that "the act by the individual was neither planned nor part of the production and was never in any rehearsal."
As the video went viral, a section of netizens lauded the protester for highlighting the perilous condition of residents in the two countries while others called him out for attempting to politicise a sporting event.
Gaza Strip and Sudan
Since the Israel-Hamas war reignited in October 2023, over 48,000 have died while more than 111.000 have been injured in the Gaza Strip. Though a ceasefire was agreed upon last month, the situation on the ground remained tense with President Donald Trump recently announcing plans of the United States, potentially taking over the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Sudan, a northeastern African nation has been in turmoil since its longtime autocratic President Omar al-Bashir was removed in 2019. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan's military have been fighting each other since 2023 which has led to the death of more than 28,000 people.
