It has been practically 5 months since Kendrick Lamar delivered the most-viewed (and arguably essentially the most polarizing) Tremendous Bowl halftime present efficiency in NFL historical past — and, in some way, the efficiency continues to be making headlines.
Sadly, this time, the Tremendous Bowl LIX halftime present is again within the information as a result of one of many “Not Like Us” artist’s background dancers, 41-year-old Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, has been positioned below arrest for holding up a Sudanese flag with the message “Sudan and Free Gaza,” and working throughout the NFL subject with it earlier than being tackled by males in fits.
In keeping with the Related Press, Nantambu, a resident of New Orleans, surrendered himself to authorities shortly after an arrest warrant was obtained and was booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Middle on misdemeanor expenses of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interruption of a lawful meeting. (Look, I’d provide the “resisting and officer” cost, however the one folks disturbed by any a part of Kendrick’s present have been the white folks complaining that it was too “woke” and didn’t have any Caucasian dancers on stage. Nantambu’s shenanigans have been simply icing on that white fragility cake.)
Little question, regulation enforcement will deny that Nantambu is just being arrested now due to his political opinions, however it’s fascinating that shortly after the occasion happened in February, New Orleans police, the division that first responded to the “disturbance,” introduced that Nantambu wouldn’t face expenses. Apparently, the Louisiana State Police felt otherwise.
From AP:
State police say troopers started investigating shortly after the Feb. 9 recreation on the Caesars Superdome and located that Nantambu “deviated from his assigned position” and disrupted the halftime present by working throughout the sphere with the flag. Safety and regulation enforcement personnel ran after him, and he refused to adjust to their instructions to cease, state police stated in a press release Thursday.
“In coordination with the Nationwide Soccer League, troopers realized that Nantambu had permission to be on the sphere in the course of the efficiency, however didn’t have permission to reveal as he did,” state police stated.
New Orleans police initially responded to the disturbance, however Louisiana State Police then took over the investigation, partly because of the performer’s entry to a extremely secured space, Louisiana State Police Sgt. Katharine Stegall stated in an e mail to The Related Press.
And the NFL has, apparently, reverted again to its anti-Colin Kaepernick methods by siding with the anti-protest opps, publicly commending the Louisiana State Police for “its diligence and professionalism.”
“We take any try to disrupt any a part of an NFL recreation, together with the halftime present, very significantly and are happy this particular person will probably be held accountable to the fullest extent of the regulation,” the NFL stated. “Along with the continuing prison case, the NFL banned the person from attending any NFL video games or occasions.”
Anyway, one other fascinating twist on this story is that Nantambu occurs to be listed because the sufferer of a Might 17 taking pictures outdoors a star boxing occasion in Miami, for which former NFL star Antonio Brown is going through a cost of tried homicide.
No matter how both case shakes out, it seems that Nantambu can have some wild NFL-related tales to inform for years to return.
Simply — wow!
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