Super Bowl halftime performer who unfurled Gaza-Sudan flag identified and won't face charges
A Super Bowl halftime show performer who displayed a flag in support of Gaza and Sudan was neither arrested nor summoned to court, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
During Kendrick Lamar’s performance, the man stood atop a 1987 Buick GNX, holding up the flag with the words "Gaza" and "Sudan" written on it. Dressed in all black with a face mask, he later jumped off the vehicle and ran onto the field while still holding the flag.
Videos showed him being apprehended by three members of law enforcement before Louisiana State Police escorted him off the field. The police confirmed that while he was ejected from the Caesars Superdome, he was not arrested or given a summons, meaning his identity was not officially released by authorities, according to Nola.com.
The NFL confirmed that the man was part of the 400-member field cast for the show. As a result of the protest, he has been banned for life from all NFL stadiums and events.
Roc Nation, the entertainment company that produced the halftime show, distanced itself from the act, saying: "The act was neither planned nor part of the production and was never in any rehearsal."
The protest did not disrupt the performance and was not broadcast on national television.
Though police did not release his name, the performer was later identified on social media as Zulqarnain, who runs the Open Book platform. On Instagram, he shared pictures of himself holding the flag.