SMG, the company that operates US Bank Stadium in Minnesota, has insisted that protesters who were arrested after climbing up the inside of the venue on Sunday passed through security screening.
Sen Holiday and Karl Mayo, who were protesting about the Dakota Access oil pipeline, entered the stadium about 45 minutes before the start of Sunday’s NFL American football game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.
They concealed climbing gear under winter clothes before scaling the heights of the stadium. They were arrested after the game.
The pair “had nothing visible in their possession that violated US Bank Stadium policies and had nothing that prevented them from clearing the security screening upon entry,” SMG marketing manager Lisa Niess told the Star Tribune newspaper.
The climbers, who reportedly had at least one accomplice who was also arrested, brought in “nylon rope, a small number of carabiners and a lightweight banner concealed on their person underneath winter clothing,” Niess added.
The statement, which was also attributed to the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, added: “They had nothing visible in their possession that violated US Bank Stadium policies and had nothing that prevented them from clearing the security screening upon entry.”
The statement also said that all stadium guests and employees must pass through security to enter the building, but the procedures are designed to detect items such as weapons and explosives.
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