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SB LIX performer arrested by La. State Police for halftime protest

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The performer of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Ricks Halftime Show in February was arrested after raising the Sudan flag after Louisiana State Police raised the Sudan flag in a message released Thursday, “Sudan and Freegaza.”

New Orleans performer Zulu Calnain Kwame Nantumbu, 41, surrendered to authorities after a warrant was obtained, state police said. He was booked at Orleans Parish Judicial Center on charges of resisting officers and disturbing peace through legal parliamentary interruptions.

State police say the Troopers began an investigation shortly after the match at Caesars Superdome on February 9, discovering that Nantumbu had “deviated from his assigned role” and disrupt the halftime show by running the field with the flag. Security enforcement officials chased him and he refused to comply with the order to halt, state police said in a statement Thursday.

“In partnership with the National Football League, the Troopers learned that Nantambus had permission to join the field during the performance, but did not have permission to demonstrate as he did,” state police said.

Neither prison records nor online court records list Nantumbu’s attorneys who can be reached for comment.

The arrest came after New Orleans police said members of the cast would not face charges shortly after a football match at Caesars Superdome. However, it was Louisiana State Police who announced the charges Thursday.

New Orleans Police initially responded to the interference, but Louisiana State Police took over the investigation after the performers accessed Louisiana State Police Sergeant, a highly secure area. Katherine Stegal said in an email to the Associated Press.

The NFL on Thursday said Louisiana State Police would praise “its hard work and professionalism.”

“We have taken attempts to disrupt parts of the NFL games, including the halftime show, very seriously and are pleased that this individual is responsible to the fullest extent of the law,” the NFL said. “In addition to ongoing criminal cases, the NFL has banned individuals from participating in NFL games and events.”

The cast members were among dozens of dancers dressed in black. He raised the flag in the air while standing on the roof of a car, a major feature of hip-hop artists’ performances. He then jumped off the stage and ran across the field, working on several men in suits.

President Donald Trump was at the stadium for the game, but it was not clear whether he saw the protest.

In another case, Nantumbu is listed as a victim of the May 17 shooting outside a celebrity boxing event in Miami.

Former NFL player Antonio Brown faces accusations of attempted murder after authorities say they grabbed a handgun from a security worker at a boxing event and fired two shots at Nantumbu. Nantumbu told investigators that one of the bullets had grazing its head.

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