Zül-Qarnain Nantambu: The Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl halftime performer on why he waved the Palestine and Sudan flags on stage

The 59th NFL Super Bowl was one for the history books. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, much to the dismay of Taylor Swift fans, and Kendrick Lamar made history by becoming the first solo hip-hop artist to headline the annual halftime show featuring the likes of Serena Williams and Samuel L. Jackson.

But that's not the only thing that made news.

Just as Lamar was performing his victory lap against his long-standing feud with Drake, a protester could be seen holding up a banner of two flags: Palestine and Sudan. He proudly waved them in the air, hoping to draw attention to the wars that had ravaged the regions.

Videos of the act soon became viral, dominating headlines, and people wondered who the man was who protested on live television.

But four and a half months after his protest, the man behind the banner, Zül-Qarnain Nantambu, was arrested and charged over his demonstration, with police stating he "deviated from his assigned role" and disrupted the show. He was charged on Thursday with two misdemeanours, Louisiana State Police said, and was released later on Friday. 

Before his arrest, Zül-Qarnain Nantambu spoke to The New Arab about his protest and the reasons behind his actions.

"I'm glad that I was honoured to be a tool to convey that message," said Zül-Qarnain.

"That was a sign that no matter what you do, our lives are all powerful to circumvent and surpass any trick, trap, a plan or plot that you have," he tells The New Arab.

Being friends with members of the Palestinian and Sudanese communities, Zül-Qarnain was able to hear firsthand accounts of the struggles both have faced, wanting to highlight the struggles of both communities and show that they are connected.

"I wanted the flag to be seen," Zül-Qarnain says.

"I wanted them to know that they are seen. I wanted those who are afflicted by these atrocities to know that they are represented at the highest level, and that's it," he continued. 

"We should all, especially as Muslims and as humans, be empathetic for those who are innocent and those who are suffering — the children, the women, and it's not of their own volition."

As he was already part of the production team for the halftime show, Zül-Qarnain felt inspired to protest and act upon his feelings.

"I got the inspiration to be able just to give a voice; to show love, representation and solidarity with my Palestinian brothers and sisters, my Sudanese brothers and sisters, their family, their supporters, and the whole Ummah. I wanted to show it as a sign that we are one, and that we see you over here," he says.

"They're just victims of war, victims of greed and evil plots. They are machinations of tyrants who have bad intentions and want to take power, resources, land, and whatnot."

After creating the banner and practising for two weeks, Zül-Qarnain says he was prepared to execute his plan. The protester kept flags in his back pocket on the day and then carried out his demonstration on stage.

However, he shares that he also kept in mind the desire not to detract from Kendrick Lamar's historic performance.

"[Lamar] worked hard to get where he is, to have that Super Bowl performance," Zül-Qarnain says. "I didn't want to interrupt that and disturb him, or run up next to him and knock him over, just to make a big conundrum," he adds.

"It would have taken away from the message. It would have been more about the messenger and not the message, and probably be turned into 'the crazy messenger, or the crazy guy with the flag' and not what the flag represented," he explains. 

"Everything moved together in harmony, it looked as if it was a part of the show, which is great, and that's what allowed it to fly a lot more and not have disdain towards me."

As Zül-Qarnain waved his banner, the protester was chased and, as he says, was "lightly tackled" by security. After being removed from the field, he was detained for a mild investigation to be conducted.

After local authorities questioned him, he was released as he had not violated any law and had permission to be on the field. Despite the National Football League being "disgruntled" and wanting to trump up charges, no charges were filed.

While news soon spread that the protester was banned for life from all NFL events, Zül-Qarnain tells The New Arab that he never received an official letter or formal warning stating that this is the case.

Zül-Qarnain says he continues to support the Palestinian and Sudanese causes, utilising his platform and producing merchandise where the proceeds fund charitable efforts in both regions — whether it's through financing water trucks or food distributions, sending donations to those who reach out or even purchasing tents for those in Gaza.

Looking back on the night, Zül-Qarnain says he has only one regret. "I wish I had run around a little longer," he tells The New Arab. 

Nonetheless, the protester says that everything was perfect and he could not have asked for anything more.

"I think the message reached every corner of the earth and all those who sought to see it, and needed to see it, saw it," he concluded. 

Anam Alam is a staff writer at The New Arab in 2024. She frequently writes about human rights and social issues, including women's rights and sex education

Follow her on X: @itsanamalam