Protester in Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 halftime show arrested
The protester who waved around a Palestinian flag during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 halftime show has been arrested, more than four months after the incident.
Louisiana State Police announced on Thursday, June 26 that 41-year-old Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu turned himself in after authorities obtained an arrest warrant.
During Super Bowl 59 on Feb. 9, Lamar closed out his halftime show performance with his single "tv off." During the song, a man dressed in black went rogue on stage and ran around the set while he waved a Palestinian flag that read "Sudan" and "Gaza." The protester then stood atop a black lowrider vehicle and moved toward the 50-yard-line before security tackled him to the ground.
The NFL confirmed to USA TODAY the day after Super Bowl 59 that the person had the flag hidden on himself before the show.
Officials said state troopers began to investigate the incident after it occurred and identified the protester as Nantambu. An investigation revealed Nantambu confirmed he was hired as an extra for the performance and while he was allowed to be on the field, he "deviated from his assigned role" and did not have permission to perform the demonstration. Authorities added that law enforcement apprehended Nantambu during the show after he allegedly refused to comply with a stop order.
After the incident, New Orleans police said the protester would not be arrested or charged, but it was the state police who conducted the action. Louisiana State Police arrested Nantambu and charged him with resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interruption of a lawful assembly. He is currently booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center.
The NFL previously told USA TODAY the protester would be banned for life from all of the league's stadiums and events.
"We take any attempt to disrupt any part of an NFL game, including the halftime show, very seriously and are pleased this individual will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," the NFL said in a statement to the Associated Press.
After the incident, Nantambu told NBC News he wanted to use the moment to "highlight the human suffering" related to the Israeli-Hamas war.
Nantambu is also related to an incident involving a former NFL player, as he confirmed to TMZ Sports that he was the victim in an alleged shooting involving Antonio Brown. According to an arrest warrant in Miami-Dade County (Florida), first reported by the Washington Post, Brown is facing a charge of attempted murder with a firearm stemming from an altercation outside of a May 16 boxing event in Miami.
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