Super Bowl halftime performer arrested months after protest
The Super Bowl performer detained after waving a flag reading 'Sudan and Free Gaza' during Kendrick Lamar's halftime show was arrested on Thursday.
Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, a 41-year-old man from New Orleans, surrendered himself to the Louisiana state police on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interruption of a lawful assembly, The Associated Press reported. Both charges could lead to 6 months in prison.
According to the police, Nantambu 'deviated from his assigned role, retrieved a Sudanese flag bearing the message 'Sudan and Free Gaza,' and disrupted the halftime show by running across the field with a flag.'
During the performance, Nantambu stood on a car used as a prop during the show, branded the flag and then ran across the field before being tackled by security.
'In coordination with the National Football League, troopers learned that Nantambu had permission to be on the field during the performance, but did not have permission to demonstrate as he did,' state police told the AP.
Following the incident in February, the NFL banned the man for life from all of the league's stadiums. The New Orleans police said he would not face charges, but the state police took up the case.
On Feb. 10, Nantambu told NBC that he wanted to 'highlight the human suffering,' in both Sudan and Palestine via the protest.
Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Several thousand people have also been killed in Sudan amid a civil war as millions experience extreme hunger.
'I hope God shifts Trump's heart to be empathetic and compassionate to those who are suffering in Palestine and do what is right by the Palestinians,' Nantambu said to NBC in February.
Brian McCarthy, the vice president of communication for the NFL, told the AP that the league takes disruptions to games 'very seriously' and that it is 'please this individual will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.'
In an unrelated case, Nantambu is cited as a victim in a May 17 shooting involving former NFL player Antonio Brown.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Advertisement 'I love my life,' he said. 'I want to keep living my life happy and healthy.' The team has already had a couple of sea trials. The most recent was from Miami to Islamorada, midway down the Florida Keys, and back. Of course, the weather was much nicer than it will be in the Arctic, and the trip was a about one-third of how far they'll go in July. Next up for Graham, he's planning to pull an all-nighter about two weeks before the trip. 'I'm going to spend about 24 hours, just to prepare my back and my sit bones and everything,' he said. 'I'll just sacrifice the day … I'll row two hours on, two hours off for 24 hours nonstop.' Advertisement If they can complete the Arctic Challenge in 15 days, that means Graham's 24-hour exercise would be less than 7% of the overall time he'll be rowing two hours on/two hours off in the Arctic. Still, Graham says — perhaps joking? — this could be less grueling than a seven-month NFL season. 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I think it'll be about five days of literally eating all the things I haven't eaten in the last probably 20 years.' The team preparing for a sea trial in Barrera For the kids Graham won't just be celebrating his completion of this massive undertaking; he'll also be celebrating the money they expect to raise for several youth charities, including Covenant House in New Orleans. Advertisement Graham's been working with at-risk kids through his foundation for years. Helping raise money for these groups is gratifying, but not as important to him as inspiring kids to be their best. 'Providing them with great opportunities, giving them hope,' he said. 'Giving them somebody who's been exactly where they are, who spent times as a child very alone, very unwanted. For them to realize that when you turn 18, you have complete control over what happens to you. It ain't gonna be easy. But if you put your head down and just work and focus on each and every day, focus on just getting better, focus on getting smarter… 'I just want to encourage any kid that feels alone, feels unwanted, just understand that you have a bright future, you're a bright human being, and if you're willing to work, and put in the time and limit distractions, you can create any life for yourself that you want.' So what's next for Graham after he conquers the Arctic Ocean? He's got an idea. It's something that would check all the boxes: one, inspire kids; two, provide the adrenaline rush he craves; and three, entertain a crowd. Advertisement 'I've spent the majority of my adulthood entertaining crowds,' he said. 'One of the biggest joys I've had, besides the camaraderie with my boys in the locker room, was scoring touchdowns. There is nothing that compares to that. How do you replace scoring a game-winning touchdown in front of 60,000 or 70,000 fans, 12 million people watching on TV? It's a hard hole to fill.' Hmm… Loves to fly, loves to entertain… 'I'm gonna go into air shows at some point,' he said. 'Doing front-flips in a plane with people watching seems like the best way to fill that hole.' Given Graham's track record, don't bet against him. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
