Man with a Palestinian Flag crashes Super Bowl Halftime performance; ‘More interesting than the show’, hails the internet
What’s a Super Bowl without a few moments of ‘controversial content’!
A protester with a Palestinian flag interrupted Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance by waving the flag on stage. Although it was a Palestinian flag, the flag bore the words “Gaza” and “Sudan,” written over that. The individual was quickly pursued by security and later tackled to the ground.
Footage on social media showed the man waving the flag while standing on top of the GNX car used by the rapper for his set, during Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
What happened?
During the halftime show at Super Bowl LIX, a man climbed onto the GNX car featured in Kendrick Lamar’s set and waved a Palestinian flag with the words “Gaza” and “Sudan” written across it. The high-profile game took place between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at the Superdome, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
As Lamar performed his final song, TV Off, the protester climbed onto the back of a black Grand National car featured in the set. He then raised the flag before jumping down and running across the field for nearly 20 seconds, dodging other performers. Security quickly responded, tackling and detaining him.
Who was the protestor?
Some social media users speculated that the protester may have been part of Lamar’s set before revealing the flag. However, the NFL confirmed that the protester was part of the 400-member field cast, but had hidden the flag and acted independently. The league stated, “No one involved with the production was aware of the individual’s intent.” Roc Nation, which produced the show, also emphasized that the act was not planned or rehearsed, as they stated, “The act by the individual was neither planned nor part of the production and was never in any rehearsal.”
Trump was in attendance at Super Bowl LIX and made a pre-game prediction favoring a Kansas City Chiefs victory. His remarks on Gaza have sparked widespread debate, adding further political context to the protest seen during Lamar’s halftime performance.
The internet reacts:
The netizens on various social media platforms were quick to react to the ‘show’, one of them deeming the demonstration with the flag was “more interesting than the show.” While another added on, “Kendrick should have brought him up to stand side-by-side. To stand for what’s right.” While someone dropped their free-of-cost advice saying, “deport him,” someone else encouraged it with a comment, “Best part of the whole spectacle” chanting a ‘free Palestine’ slogan in the end.
The protest comes shortly after Donald Trump’s recent statements about the U.S. potentially “taking over” Gaza and relocating much of its Palestinian population. In a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump proposed turning Gaza into what he called “the Riviera of the Middle East”, estimating that 1.8 million of its 2.3 million residents would need to be displaced.
