There it was, in the corner of the screen during the climactic moment of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday: A protester unfurling a combined Palestinian and Sudanese flag just as Lamar — and the entire stadium — sang the “it’s probably A-minooooor” punchline from his chart-topping diss track “Not Like Us.”
The N.F.L. said in a statement that the protester was part of the 400-member field cast.
“The individual hid the item on his possession and unveiled it late in the show,” the league said. “No one involved with the production was aware of the individual’s intent.”
A representative for Roc Nation, the entertainment company behind the halftime show, said in a statement, “The act by the individual was neither planned nor part of the production and was never in any rehearsal.”
Amid the dozens of dancers in red, white, blue and black, the individual could be seen standing on the hood of the stage’s centerpiece, a Buick Grand National GNX, the rare car for which Lamar named his latest album, “GNX.” Images from the ground and clips on social media showed a person in black sweats — matching the extras onstage — with “Sudan” and “Gaza” written on the white swath of the flags, alongside a heart and a solidarity fist.
As Lamar transitioned into his final song, “TV Off,” from “GNX,” the flag-bearer could be seen jumping from the car and leaving the stage, running in circles with the flag waving in his hands until being tackled by security and removed from the field.
Emmanuel Morgan contributed reporting.
