A dancer in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show was tackled after displaying protest flags in support of Palestine and Sudan.
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The person, who was dressed in black like other background dancers, was detained by security following the stunt, NBC News reported.
In a statement, the NFL said, “We commend security for quickly detaining the individual who displayed the flag… He was a part of the 400-member field cast. The individual hid the item on his possession and unveiled it late in the show.”
The league went on to clarify that, “no one involved with the production was aware of the individual’s intent.”
The GRAMMY-winning rapper took the field during halftime of the 2025 Super Bowl to perform several of his lauded hits, including “Squabble Up” and “Not Like Us.”
During the performance’s final song, “tv off,” one of the background dancers unveiled Palestinian and Sudanese flags, emblazoned with the countries’ names.
The protestor then jumped off stage and ran around the field before he was tackled and detained. The NFL later said the person will be “banned for life from all NFL stadiums and events.”
The Dancer in Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show Staged an Unplanned Protest
A representative for Roc Nation, which produced the show, told NBC News that the protest was “neither planned nor part of the production and was never in any rehearsal.”
However, as the New Orleans Police Department confirmed on Monday that there was no arrest or summons in the case, the individual will not be publicly identified.
“The NOPD continues to work with NFL and the halftime production team to ascertain any affiliation the individual may have had with the halftime show,” authorities added.
Despite the backlash, the Council on American-Islamic Relations reacted to the statement in a lengthy social media statement.
“Peaceful acts of protest and civil disobedience in the pursuit of a just cause are an American tradition,” CAIR said in a post on X. “We commend the Super Bowl performer who courageously and peacefully raised awareness about ongoing war crimes against the people of Gaza and Sudan.”
“This brave act of peaceful protest should serve as a reminder that many Americans recognize the humanity of those suffering abroad as a result of American foreign policy, including Palestinians dealing with the aftermath of the Israeli genocide that our own government funded in Gaza amid complete silence from major athletic associations that have commented on other domestic and global injustices,” they added.
Peaceful acts of protest and civil disobedience in the pursuit of a just cause are an American tradition. We commend the Super Bowl performer who courageously and peacefully raised awareness about ongoing war crimes against the people of Gaza and Sudan.
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) February 10, 2025
This brave act of… pic.twitter.com/UDHRkVEJXv
The organization also expressed their belief that the NFL “should not seek any criminal charges against this peaceful protester.”
“This performer risked his career to peacefully raise awareness about human suffering without even causing any significant disruption to the halftime show, and he should be celebrated as a hero,” they said.