NEW ORLEANS — A dancer who disrupted this year’s Super Bowl halftime show by displaying a protest flag during Kendrick Lamar’s performance has been convicted of resisting an officer, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Monday.
Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, 41, from New Orleans, was part of a group of dancers dressed in black during the hip-hop star’s February 9, 2025 show at the Caesars Superdome.
Though Nantambu had permission to be on the field as a performer, Louisiana State Police say he went off script when he displayed a Sudanese flag bearing the message “Sudan and Free Gaza” while standing atop a vehicle being used as a stage prop. Officials say he then leaped from the platform and began running across the field. When security officers and police pursued him and ordered him to stop, he ignored their commands, according to state police.
After an arrest warrant was issued, Nantambu turned himself in to authorities. He was charged with resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by disrupting a lawful assembly at the Orleans Parish Justice Center. Chief Judge Juana Marine-Lombard found him guilty only on the resisting an officer charge, which is classified as a misdemeanor.
“We appreciate the chief judge’s careful consideration of the evidence and the decision to hold this individual accountable for resisting law enforcement officers who work every day to protect our communities,” Murrill said.
Nantambu’s sentencing is scheduled for June 1, according to the attorney general’s office. The misdemeanor conviction carries potential penalties of up to $500 in fines and as much as six months behind bars under state law.
The NFL has also imposed a lifetime prohibition on Nantambu attending any league events.
In an unrelated incident, Nantambu was the target of a shooting at a celebrity boxing match in Miami this past May.
Former NFL player Antonio Brown is facing attempted murder charges after police say he took a gun from a security guard at the boxing event and fired two rounds at Nantambu. According to investigators, Nantambu reported that one bullet grazed his neck.
Brown has claimed he was acting in self-defense. His trial is scheduled to begin in January 2027.
