Member of Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show won't face charges for flag protest

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The cast member who displayed the Palestinian flag with the word “GAZA” in protest during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show will not face charges, New Orleans police said Monday.

The banner combined the black stripes of the flags honored by the Sudanese and Palestinian peoples and also had the word SUDAN on it. The cast member, one of dozens of dancers clad in identical black sweats, held it high while standing on the roof of the car that was a centerpiece of the hip-hop artist's performance, and then jumped off the stage and ran across the field before being tackled by several men in suits.

The cast member had hidden the flag and “no one involved with the production was aware of the individual’s intent," the NFL said Sunday, adding that the person has earned a lifetime ban from league stadiums and events.

Roc Nation, the entertainment company which produced the halftime show, said in a statement provided by the NFL that the flag display was not planned.

A flag is raised during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Kendrick Lamar actúa durante el espectáculo de medio tiempo del Super Bowl 59 de la NFL entre los Chiefs de Kansas City y los Eagles de Filadelfia, el domingo 9 de febrero de 2025, en Nueva Orleans. (Foto AP/Matt Slocum)

Kendrick Lamar performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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