On Sunday night, during the highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime show, a brief yet powerful moment of protest unfolded. A performer raised the flags of Sudan and Palestine, a symbolic act of resistance that, though fleeting, carried profound meaning. In an event as tightly controlled and choreographed as the Super Bowl, such an interruption was quickly addressed by security and omitted from the live broadcast. Yet, the moment itself spoke volumes. It was a testament to the enduring determination of the Sudanese and Palestinian people to break through the barriers of censorship and silence imposed by mainstream platforms. In a world where their narratives are often erased or ignored, this act of defiance was a reminder that their voices will not be silenced.
For over a year, the people of Sudan and Palestine have tirelessly worked to bring attention to their struggles. They have organized protests, risking their lives to highlight the injustices they face. Despite their efforts, the world has largely turned a blind eye. This is not a new phenomenon. Last year, during the Super Bowl, Israel carried out a devastating massacre in Rafah, killing at least 67 Palestinians in a matter of hours. The area, designated as a “safe zone” by the Israeli army, was home to 1.4 million Palestinians seeking refuge. The timing of the attack was far from coincidental. Israel knew that American media would be preoccupied with the Super Bowl, and that the violence would likely go unreported. This calculation was eerily accurate, as the atrocity was met with silence from mainstream outlets.
In response to such acts of violence and the subsequent media blackout, activists have sought creative ways to counter the distraction. In collaboration with the Know Collective, I released a different kind of Super Bowl commercial. Unlike the usual ads selling chips or cars, this one carried a urgent message: it reminded viewers of the crimes being enabled by the U.S. government in Gaza. The ad, widely shared on social media, was simple yet powerful: “America is being distracted. As we are entertained, children are being slaughtered with our tax dollars. As we cheer for teams, our government is providing the weapons that turn Palestinian homes into mass graves.” This message struck at the heart of a systemic issue—one that has been rooted in history. The Romans once referred to this tactic as “bread and circuses,” where the masses are kept fed and entertained to distract them from oppression. The Super Bowl, as one of the most watched events in the world, has become a modern-day manifestation of this strategy—a carefully crafted diversion from the atrocities funded by the U.S.
But moments like Sunday night’s protest remind us that not everyone is content to remain distracted. Just weeks ago, on January 15, 2024, more than 400,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., to demand an end to U.S. complicity in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. This was no small feat—it was one of the largest protests in the nation’s capital in recent history, dwarfing many historic demonstrations. Yet, the media response was deafening silence. If such a massive gathering had occurred for any other cause, it would have dominated the evening news, flooded social media, and filled headlines the next morning. But for Palestine, there was barely a whisper. This was not an oversight. It was a deliberate effort to suppress the voices calling for Palestinian liberation, a stark reminder of the systemic silencing of their struggle.
The suppression of Palestinian voices is not new. For decades, Palestinians have had to fight for visibility in a world that often seeks to erase them. When mainstream platforms block their narratives, they turn to social media. When their protests are ignored, they organize even larger ones. When they are erased, they find ways to make themselves impossible to forget. Sudan’s story, while unique, follows a similar pattern—though instead of deliberate censorship, it is often met with outright neglect. The Sudanese people have endured unimaginable suffering. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed, over eight million displaced, villages burned to the ground, and famine looms on the horizon. Yet, Sudan remains a mere footnote in Western media. Sudanese activists have pleaded for attention with the hashtag #EyesOnSudan, but their cries, like those of Palestinians, have been met with silence.
The suppression of Sudan’s story is a reflection of a media system that prioritizes conflicts only when they serve political interests. Unlike Ukraine or Israel, Sudan does not fit neatly into a Western foreign policy agenda. There is no rallying cry from politicians, no flood of aid, and no incentive for coverage. Millions of people are left to suffer in obscurity. This media blackout is not just neglect—it is complicity in the erasure of an entire people. And so, for both Sudan and Palestine, the moment at the Super Bowl was not just an act of defiance. It was part of a long tradition of breaking through silence when all official channels have failed. It was a reminder that no matter how hard the mainstream tries to erase their suffering, the truth will find a way to break through.
It breaks through in the streets, where hundreds of thousands of people continue to march for Palestine, despite arrests, blacklisting, and violent suppression. It breaks through in the resilience of Sudanese and Palestinian communities, where activists risk their lives to bring the world’s attention to their struggles. It breaks through in the digital sphere, where independent journalists and grassroots movements are outpacing corporate media in telling the real story. And on Sunday night, it broke through on the stage of one of the most watched events in the world—a fleeting moment of resistance that spoke volumes about the power of defiance in the face of oppression.
