A protester brandished a Palestinian flag on the stage during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime performance Sunday — an act the NFL said was not part of the planned production.
The man was part of the performance’s cast, according to the NFL, but allegedly went rogue when he displayed the flag emblazoned with “Sudan” and “Gaza” on it.
“The individual hid the item on his possession and unveiled it late in the show,” the NFL said, according to The New York Times. “No one involved with the production was aware of the individual’s intent.”
Roc Nation, which co-produced the show, reiterated that sentiment and said the act “was never in any rehearsal.”
Videos and images from the scene show the man waving the flag from atop a car that was featured in Lamar’s performance, then bringing it down to the field, where he was eventually tackled by security.
The scene unfolded toward the end of Lamar’s era-hopping performance at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome, with the Philadelphia Eagles leading the Kansas City Chiefs, 24-0. The Eagles went on to win, 40-22.
Lamar, 37, was the first rapper to perform as a solar headliner at a Super Bowl halftime show. His performance featured cameos by Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams, SZA and Mustard.