Super Bowl halftime show interrupted by anti-Israel protester

Neither the NFL nor the entertainment production company knew of the stunt ahead of time.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

A backup performer flew a combined Sudanese and Palestinian flag during one of the shows put on at half time at the Super Bowl Sunday before running onto the field and being detained by police.

The flags share the same colors, and the word “Sudan” was written on the Sudanese half while “Gaza” was written on the Palestinian half, with a heart painted in front of each name.

The man, who was later confirmed to be part of the production cast of hundreds dancing while singer Kendrick Lamar performed, pulled it out of his pocket during Lamar’s last song. He held it up while standing on top of a car that was onstage as part of the set.

After waving it briefly, he jumped off the car and off the stage and ran around the sidelines of the football field waving the flag for several seconds before three security guards tackled him. Joined by several others, they dragged him quickly off the field.

At no point was the performance stopped because of the stunt.

In a statement, the Roc Nation entertainment company that produced the halftime show, which is watched by millions during the long intermission between halves of the championship game, said that the man’s act “was neither planned nor part of the production and was never in any rehearsal.”

The National Football League said that “the individual hid the item on his person and unveiled it late in the show” and that “no one involved with the production was aware of the individual’s intent.”

The league praised the security personnel “for quickly detaining the individual who displayed the flag.”

The New Orleans police said in a statement that “law enforcement is working to determine applicable charges in this incident.”

According to AP, one punishment had already been decided upon, as it reported that NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that the protestor would be “banned for life from all NFL stadiums and events” as a result.

By displaying simultaneous support for both Gaza and Sudan, the man was seemingly showing that he backed both the Hamas terror organization in the Strip and the Houthi terrorist group that has taken over most of the North African country in a bloody civil war.

The Houthis have showed their support for their fellow Iranian proxy during the 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas by periodically launching missiles at the Jewish state as well as at cargo ships going toward Israel and the Suez Canal, endangering a major international shipping lane.