Because it’s Minnesota, every fan who entered U.S. Bank Stadium was bundled up in layers of winter clothing.
And that made it easier for the protestors who hung a banner from the rafters during the game to get into the stadium.
Via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, the investigation to the incident showed the two protestors had tickets to the game, and simply hid their climbing equipment under their clothing.
SMG, which manages the stadium, put out a statement on the incident, saying they got through security with nylon rope, caribiners and a banner because there was “nothing visible in their possession that violated U.S. Bank Stadium policies and had nothing that prevented them from clearing the security screening upon entry.”
Once in, they climbed onto a ridge truss, and hung from the rafters a banner protesting U.S. Bank’s involvement in the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline.
“The intruders gained unauthorized access to the ridge truss by scaling regulation standard physical barriers designed to prevent entry,” the statement read. “We have taken immediate steps to implement design changes to prevent any future unauthorized access.”
The two protestors were booked into the Hennepin County jail on suspicion of gross misdemeanor burglary and trespassing, but were released Monday afternoon.