Dancer who waved Palestine flag during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl won't face charges
He has been banned from future NFL events and venues, with Roc Nation also issuing a statement about the stunt
The dancer who waved a Palestine and Sudan flag during Kendrick Lamarâs Super Bowl Halftime Show will not face any charges over the stunt, but has been given a lifetime ban from NFL stadiums and events.
At the end of the performance last Sunday (February 9), a member of Lamarâs live crew unfurled a banner combining the Palestine and Sudan flags, with the words âSudanâ and âGazaâ written on it.
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He then jumped off the stage and ran across the field, waving the flag around. The man was subsequently chased down by security before eventually being tackled to the ground and escorted off the field.
In a statement to NBC, an NFL spokesperson said: âWe commend security for quickly detaining the individual who displayed the flag. He was a part of the 400-member field cast.â
Now, the NFL has confirmed that the unidentified protester was a member of the crew that had gone rogue.
âThe individual hid the item on his possession and unveiled it late in the show,â it said. âNo one involved with the production was aware of the individualâs intent.â
Roc Nation, which produced the Halftime Show, corroborated this report in a separate statement, claiming that the stunt âwas neither planned nor part of the production and was never in any rehearsalâ.
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The New Orleans Police Department initially said that âlaw enforcement [was] working to determine applicable charges in this incidentâ.
It has since been reported that the performer will not face any criminal charges for displaying the flags. However, he has been handed a lifetime ban from NFL stadiums and events (via Rolling Stone).
The incident came shortly after President Donald Trumpâs controversial proposal for the US to âtake overâ Gaza and remove much of its Palestinian population. Trump was in attendance at the game in New Orleans, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs go up against the Philadelphia Eagles.
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During a recent press conference at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the President said the US would âtake over the Gaza Stripâ with âa long-term ownership positionâ.
Trump estimated that about 1.8million of the almost-2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza would have to be relocated to turn what he described as a âhell holeâ into âthe Riviera of the Middle Eastâ.
He called the Gaza Strip a âdemolition siteâ, saying: âYouâre talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing.â
A ceasefire was called between Israel and Palestine last month. The decades-long conflict was brought to the forefront of mainstream attention last October, with a legion of musicians calling for a ceasefire.
Last year, George The Poet accused Kendrick of being âa non-revolutionary cosplaying as a revolutionaryâ during an interview with The Guardian.
â[He is someone] whoâs been silent about very important things at very important times,â he said. âAnd now that he has a little catty moment, weâre acting like hip-hopâs back? I donât want to be part of that.â
During his Super Bowl performance, Lamar warned: âThe revolution about to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy.â
NME has ranked the set at Number Three in the 10 best Super Bowl Halftime Shows in history: â[Lamarâs] triumphant appearance, which is the latest peak in his current tidal wave of success, featured an unreleased track, a handful of cuts from his latest album âGNXâ and largely avoided the biggest anthems of his career.â
The show came shortly after the rapper won five awards at the Grammys 2025, including Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for his Drake diss song âNot Like Usâ.
He surprise-released his sixth and latest album, âGNXâ, last November. The record earned a glowing five-star review from NME, while âNot Like Usâ was crowned NMEâs second best song of 2024.
In other news, Lamar and SZA have announced a joint UK and European stadium tour after performing live together at the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, online streams of Lamarâs âNot Like Usâ have increased by 430 per cent following the show.