A North Carolina middle school choir was ordered to stop singing the national anthem outside the 9/11 memorial in New York Wednesday.
Video of the Waynesville Middle School choir's New York City performance was posted to Facebook.
According to the memorial website, groups wanting to perform must first get a permit.
"Basically, they performed approximately half of the National Anthem and they were told by security to cease and desist," Waynesville Middle School principal Trevor Putnam said. "And they, of course, complied immediately."
Putnam said security "explained to them that they treat that (area) as a burial site."
"I hate that our kids didn't get to finish," Putnam said.
The students didn't have a permit but did have a verbal OK from one security guard, according Connie Shepherd Scanlon, to the woman who recorded video of the choir's performance.
"I think it's terrible, being a veteran and such," Bill Bright, a who was visiting the memorial, said. "Trying to instill on our youth the history of our country and the importance of our country; what we have here. So why stop them from singing our national anthem?"
The video of the students singing has been shared on Facebook over 1,000 times.
Watch the video below:
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