(ConcernedPatiot.com) – A children’s choir from South Carolina was put to silence by Capitol police while singing the National Anthem in National Statuary Hall.
The Rushingbrook Children’s Choir’s founder and conductor, David Rasbach, acquired prior written consent from three members of Congress, including Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), to perform five songs at the Capitol on Friday, May 26, according to the Daily Signal.
Just learned kids were interrupted while singing our National Anthem at the Capitol. Unacceptable.
These children were welcomed by my office because your Capitol is back open, particularly for school groups. @RepTimmons, @RepJoeWilson, & @RepRussellFry, and I look forward to…
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) June 2, 2023
Representatives Joe Wilson and William Timmons, Republicans from South Carolina, gave their written consent to the group, according to Micah Rea, founder, and principal of The Rea Group and trip organizer.
We recently learned that schoolchildren from South Carolina were interrupted while singing our National Anthem at the Capitol. These children were welcomed by the Speaker’s office to joyfully express their love of this Nation while visiting the Capitol, and we are all very…
— Congressman William Timmons (@RepTimmons) June 2, 2023
He also had a Rep. Wilson’s office staff member certify that it was still approved.
The Western Journal stated that when the Greenville, South Carolina choir arrived that day, Andrew Tremel, the visitor operations manager at the Architect of the Capitol, briefly stopped them before approving their continued performance through his earphone.
A children’s choir singing the Star-Spangled Banner were told to stop singing by Capital Police because it was considered a “demonstration.”
Police told the Choir Director to stop “Because this is considered a demonstration and we don’t allow demonstrations in the Capitol.”… pic.twitter.com/SGJMJXUV1B
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) June 4, 2023
A female officer, however, told a staff member to inform Rasbach to end the performance before the choir could complete the fourth verse of the National Anthem.
The officer and staff member on the video may be seen conversing for more than 30 seconds. She taps him on the shoulder as he starts to leave, which causes him to stop performing.
Rasbach told the Daily Signal, “I was shocked, I was dismayed, I was stunned.” I found it hard to imagine that the National Anthem of all songs would be discontinued.”
Rabach claimed that the officer informed him that the protest was prohibited and that complaints had been made about it being insulting.
The Capitol Police refuted the assertion that it was taken down because individuals were outraged in an email to the Daily Signal.
“Recently, someone posted a video of a children’s choir singing the Star-Spangled Banner in the United States Capitol Building and falsely claimed we stopped the performance because it “may offend someone,” according to Capitol Police.
“Of course, because the singers in this situation were children, our officers were reasonable and allowed the children to finish their beautiful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. …
The Congressional staff member accompanying the group knew the rules yet lied to the officers multiple times about having permission from various offices. The staffer put the choir and our officers, who were simply doing their jobs, in an awkward and embarrassing position.”
Both Rea and Rabach referred to this as a flat-out falsehood.
Rea told the Daily Signal, “That’s a bald-faced falsehood. They literally stopped him before they had finished singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” as you can see in the video.”
Later, Capitol Police sent a statement to Newsweek expressing regret for the communication error.
The U.S. Capitol Police were unaware that the Speaker’s Office had approved this performance owing to a miscommunication, the statement said. Popup protests and musical performances are not permitted in the U.S. Capitol without the appropriate consent.
That is absolutely untrue, though. A choir of 80 pastors sang in the Rotunda on March 29.
Do you believe this was done by accident or on purpose by Capitol Police?
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