In a show of protest against the Middle East’s two wars, a performer at Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show unfurled a banner with the words Sudan & Gaza.
The performer was detained by security personnel in the stadium shortly after a flag was raised on a car that had been used to prop up the performance. New Orleans police confirmed they were deciding whether to file charges against the performer.
The NFL announced that the person will be banned from all NFL events and stadiums for life. We commend security on quickly detaining this individual. He was part of the 400-member field cast. The individual concealed the item and revealed it at the end of the show. The league stated that no one in the production knew what the individual was planning.
The halftime show’s producer, Roc Nation said that the protest “was not planned, nor was it part of the production, and was never in a rehearsal.”
What was the protest, what is happening in Gaza and Sudan, and how does this affect the rest of the world?
What’s Happening in Gaza?
Gaza Strip is a small enclave that lies along the Mediterranean Sea, bordered both by Egypt and Israel. The Gaza Strip is 140 square miles — roughly twice as large as Washington and three-and-a-half times larger than Paris. It’s densely populated, and it was home to more than 2.3 million Palestinians before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023.
Hamas, the militant group who has ruled Gaza since 2007 stormed into Israel and killed 1,200 people while taking 250 as hostages. Israel’s response was a ground and air offensive that killed more than 47,000 Palestinians. This is according to the health authorities of Hamas-controlled Gaza who don’t distinguish between combatants and noncombatants. Many parts of the area are in ruins and there is no way to rebuild them.
The ceasefire that began on Jan. 19, is still in place. Israel and the Palestinians have both released prisoners. There are still concerns about the stability of the peace. The announcement by President Trump that the United States would “take over” Gaza has also thrown into question the future of the enclave.
Tom Fletcher, the UN humanitarian chief, says that the famine in Gaza has been largely avoided as an influx of aid is entering the territory under the fragile ceasefire. He warned that the threat would return quickly if there was a collapse of the ceasefire.
The Palestinians are seeking the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem for their future state. Mideast countries and a large part of the international community support the long-sought two-state solution to the decades-long war. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, called it “a creative, revolutionary vision” on Sunday. Hamas, Palestinians, and most of the world reject it.
Sudan: Here’s What You Need to Know
Sudan, located in northeastern Africa has been in instability since a popular revolt forced the ouster of Omar al-Bashir, an autocratic leader who had ruled for decades. In 2021, a short-lived transition from autocracy to democracy was derailed by a military coup led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan of the army and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces).
In 2023, the RSF and Sudanese military started fighting. More than 28,000 people have died in the conflict, millions of people were forced to flee and some families are eating grass to survive. Some estimates indicate that the death toll from the civil war is much higher.
Burhan’s forces have been advancing against the RSF in recent weeks. This includes Sudan’s army and its allied militias. They took back a refinery located north of Khartoum. Also, they have advanced on RSF positions in and around Khartoum. Increased civilian casualties have been reported as a result of the fighting. The U.N. Human Rights Office recorded at least 275 civilians killed by artillery, drones, and airstrikes between Jan. 31 and Feb. 5.
Seif Magango is a spokesperson from the Human Rights Office. He said that “indiscriminate assaults, threats, and attacks against civilians should cease immediately.” “The Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces, and their affiliated movements and militias must respect their obligations under international law and take concrete measures to protect civilians including human rights defenders and humanitarian workers.”
Activists have used the internet to bring attention to Gaza and Sudan despite their different origins and participants. Celebrities have claimed that both conflicts are linked by devastation.
In August, American rapper Macklemore said he canceled a concert in Dubai over the United Arab Emirates’ role “in the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis” in Sudan through its reported support of the paramilitary RSF. While the UAE repeatedly has denied arming the RSF, U.N. experts reported “credible” evidence last year that the Emirates sent weapons to the RSF several times a week from northern Chad.
Macklemore said at the time that he had reconsidered the concert in part because of his public support for Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas conflict. He was performing “Hind’s Hall” in honor of Hind Rajab, a girl who died in Gaza after an Israeli force opened fire on a car carrying civilians.
