This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

[protected-iframe id=”87db21e577d70577142994a740597c5b-28572344-44461637″ info=”http://wlos.com/embed/news/local/waynesville-middle-students-halted-in-middle-of-song-performance-at-911-memorial” width=”640″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″]

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. — A North Carolina community is outraged after a local children’s chorus was told to stop singing the National Anthem at the 9/11 Memorial in New York.

According to WLOS, the Waynesville Middle School chorus was visiting the city as part of an educational trip. They were singing outside of the memorial when an officials told them to stop halfway through the song.

The 9/11 Memorial’s website notes that that any groups who want to perform must get a permit. The Waynesville students didn’t have a permit, but told WLOS that a security guard said it was OK.

“Basically, they performed approximately half of the National Anthem, and they were told by security to cease and desist. And they, of course, complied immediately,” said the school’s principal, Trevor Putnam.

Someone on the trip posted a video of the children singing to Facebook. Many commenters said they should have let the children finish.

Marian Anderson told WLOS that the children were simply being patriotic.

“That’s just not right, not a good way to promote patriotism.,” Anderson told WLOS.