The performer who raised a twin Sudanese-Palestinian flag throughout Kendrick Lamar‘s Tremendous Bowl halftime present says he has no regrets in regards to the stunt, which uncovered an enormous safety failure for a significant occasion attended by the US president.
Zül-Qarnain Nantambu confirmed that he unfurled the banner, emblazoned with the phrases ‘Sudan’ and ‘Gaza,’ in New Orleans on Sunday night as a message of solidarity to the victims of these conflicts.
Nantambu stood on a automotive used as a prop for Lamar’s present and held up the flag, earlier than working across the area after which being wrestled by safety workers and ejected from the stadium.
He has been banned from NFL stadiums and occasions for all times, however not but been charged for the protest, which was seen by thousands and thousands of individuals and underscored an enormous lapse in safety for occasion organizers.
Nantambu says he was employed as a ‘participant’ within the present and was a part of Tremendous Bowl preparations over the earlier two weeks, elevating questions over the extent of the vetting course of.
He says he intentionally unfurled his flag on the identical time different banners had been displayed as a part of Lamar’s set and that the celebrated rapper knew nothing about Nantambu’s plans.
That will quieten hypothesis on social media that Nantambu’s protest was sanctioned by organizers of the half-time present, and that the protest was successfully an ‘inside job.’
‘It wasn’t part of [Lamar’s] plan. I do not wish to attribute any of that to him as a result of he did not know something about that,’ Nantambu instructed DailyMail.com.
Political protests are prohibited at NFL and different main sporting occasions.
Zül-Qarnain Nantambu, 43, instructed DailyMail.com that he was the Tremendous Bowl protestor
The New Orleans native unfurled a twin Sudanese-Palestinian flag throughout Kendrick Lamar’s halftime set
The self-styled ‘freedom fighter’ insists his protest was ‘not political’ however slightly an indication of solidarity with struggling Muslims in these hotspots, whereas repeatedly saying he was impressed to behave by his religion in Islam.
‘Reward to be Allah. By the mercy and permission of Allah, it was me,’ Nantambu stated.
The protest was a means of ‘displaying solidarity with the individuals struggling over there,’ he added.
‘We stay a lifetime of luxurious compared to what they are going by way of,’ he stated.
Nonetheless, in different social media posts, Nantambu has taken a harder line in opposition to Israel, calling for the ‘liberation’ of the entire area, echoing the emotions of many pro-Palestine activists.
Nantambu is a bearded hip hop artist, filmmaker, dressmaker and self-styled ‘freedom fighter,’ who talks about politics and being a Muslim in modern-day America in his YouTube channel Open Guide Platform.
He typically posts pictures of himself together with his sons and sporting classic military-style clothes.
His protest got here after 15 months of preventing between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants that has devastated the coastal Gaza territory, and as Sudan’s bloody civil warfare has been raging for almost two years.
‘I wished to point out that all of us are united, and they’re beloved,’ stated the 43-year-old New Orleans native.
‘They’re beloved right here by believers. They’re prayed for right here by believers. And we’re in solidarity and unity with them, praying for the betterment of that scenario.’
The obvious ease with which Nantambu was in a position to take his message to a crowd of thousands and thousands is broadly seen as a humiliation for the safety groups and organizers of the long-lasting occasion.
Nantambu has posted about his demonstration on social media, and has acquired praised for standing up for Muslims and drawing consideration to the conflicts.
The Instagram account nola4palestine lauded Nantambu, saying his ‘single courageous act sparked the web like no multi-million greenback Zionist propaganda ever may.’
‘By the mercy and permission of Allah, it was me,’ Nantambu instructed DailyMail.com
Nantambu was tackled by safety workers on the stadium after which ejected, however was not charged
Nantambu describes himself as a hip hop artist, filmmaker, dressmaker
‘I wished to point out that all of us are united, and they’re beloved,’ Nantambu says of Gazans
Nantambu was praised on social media by New Orleans pro-Palestine activists
‘Shout out to this courageous Muslim activist from New Orleans! Alhamdulilah he was launched with out cost after being tackled by NFL workers. Now present him some love for forcing the entire world to speak about ��������.’
However Nantambu says he doesn’t search the limelight.
‘I am only a servant,’ he stated. ‘I do not wish to be exalted. I do not wish to be praised.’
The NFL confirmed the protestor was a part of the 400-member area forged.
‘The person will (be) banned for all times from all NFL stadiums and occasions,’ NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy stated in an emailed assertion.
The NFL stated ‘the person hid the merchandise on his particular person and unveiled it late within the present’ and that ‘nobody concerned with the manufacturing was conscious of the person’s intent.’
Roc Nation, the leisure firm which produced the present, stated that the act ‘was neither deliberate nor a part of the manufacturing and was by no means in any rehearsal.’
The New Orleans Police Division stated in a press release that ‘legislation enforcement is working to find out relevant expenses on this incident.’
‘No arrest nor summons was issued,’ stated the assertion.
‘The NOPD continues to work with NFL and the halftime manufacturing crew to establish any affiliation the person might have had with the halftime present.’
The present continued with out interruption, and it didn’t appear as if the particular person was proven on the printed of Lamar’s efficiency.
