Capitol Police blame ‘miscommunication’ for shutting down children’s choir
On Friday, the US Capitol Police issued an apology after interrupting a children’s choir whilst they performed the national anthem inside the Capitol Building last week. The incident took place on May 26 in the Capitol Building’s National Statuary Hall, with the Rushingbrook Children’s Choir from Greenville, South Carolina singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Video footage shows the group’s conductor, David Rasbach, cutting the singers off before they could finish. Rasbach stated that the choir had obtained permission to perform from South Carolina Republican Reps. William Timmons, Joe Wilson, and the office of the House speaker. Despite this, a female Capitol Police officer directed a congressional staffer to immediately end the children’s performance. The US Capitol Police later stated that there had been a “miscommunication” and that the officers were not aware that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had approved the performance. Following the incident, McCarthy expressed his outrage and expressed his desire to have the choir return to the Capitol Building to perform.
FAQs:
What happened to the children’s choir while they were performing in the Capitol Building?
The Rushingbrook Children’s Choir from South Carolina were singing the national anthem in the Capitol Building when a female Capitol Police officer directed a congressional staffer to immediately put an end to the children’s performance. The incident occurred on May 26 in the Capitol Building’s National Statuary Hall.
Why did this happen?
Despite having permission to perform from South Carolina Republican Reps. William Timmons, Joe Wilson, and the office of the House speaker, there was a miscommunication, and the US Capitol Police were not aware that the Speaker’s Office had approved the performance. The Police later apologised for interrupting the performance.
Who was outraged by the incident?
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed his outrage over the incident and stated his intention to invite the choir back to perform in the halls of Congress. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene also tweeted her support for the choir, stating that “The National Anthem sung by children is not offensive, it’s needed more.”
What did the Capitol Police have to say about this?
The Capitol Police made a statement regarding the incident, saying that “Although popup demonstrations and musical performances are not allowed in the U.S. Capitol without the proper approval, due to a miscommunication, the U.S Capitol Police were not aware that the Speaker’s Office had approved this performance.” They apologised to the choir for interrupting their rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. The police also denied allegations made by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and David Rasbach that they had claimed the performance might offend someone.
Children’s choir unfairly shut down by Capitol Police due to ‘miscommunication’
Last week, the Rushingbrook Children’s Choir was silenced while performing the national anthem inside the US Capitol Building. The incident occurred on May 26 in the Capitol Building’s National Statuary Hall, where the young singers from Greenville, South Carolina based chorus were interrupted in the middle of singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” According to reports, the conductor of the group, David Rasbach, was directed by a female Capitol Police officer to put an end to the performance. This happened even after the choir had obtained permission from South Carolina Republican Reps. William Timmons, Joe Wilson, and the office of the House Speaker. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy criticized the move, calling it “unacceptable”. The Capitol Police on Friday issued an apology for the incident, calling it a “miscommunication” and stating that officers were not aware that the Speaker’s Office had approved the performance. Video footage of the event shows the conductor of the group cutting the young singers off before they could finish singing the patriotic tune. While Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted that the choir was told that the singing “might offend someone/cause issues”, the Capitol Police have denied this allegation. McCarthy, meanwhile, tweeted his outrage over the incident and said he looked forward to having the choir return to perform in the halls of Congress.