Marco Rubio demands US military reschedule Sound of Freedom showings after cancelation

In the letter, Rubio contends that since the excuse the military provided for canceling the event has been rectified, SOUTHCOM needs to take immediate action to reschedule the screenings, according to The Hill.

The free screenings of the film, which has grossed over $200 million, had been planned for Aug. 28 and Oct. 19. However, SOUTHCOM reportedly succumbed to pressure from those echoing false statements from corporate media that the Christian-based thriller is a "Q-Anon" conspiracy. As the reason for canceling the event, the military cited concerns about "copyright infringement violations."

Rubio wrote off that excuse stating that the Department of Defense (DOD) frequently collaborates with movie companies to provide free screenings on American military facilities. The Republican senator also explained that the film's distributor, Angel Studios, had volunteered to send a representative to meet with command staff and their families following screenings to answer any queries.

"As an example, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service offered advanced screenings of ‘Elvis’ at more than 20 U.S. Air Force and Army bases last year. This is not a novel concept — and one in which DOD has a long history of supporting such events for service members and their families," Rubio writes.

In addition, the producers and distributors of Sound of Freedom "have consented" to the showing, Rubio said, saying SOUTHCOMS concerns surrounding copyright infringement are not valid.

"Since the concern which led to the cancelation has now been addressed, I urge you to rectify this situation and ensure that the screenings of the film be rescheduled without delay," Rubio wrote in the letter.

SOUTHCOM said they canceled the screenings after a review of "applicable laws and regulations governing the use of materials subject to copyright and intellectual property laws for official or recreational purposes," and explained the film can be watched in nearby theaters if servicemembers wish to see it.

According to Army Col. Emanuel Ortiz, US SOUTHCOM had initially decided to host the screenings due to the fact that the film brings awareness to the important issue of transcontinental human trafficking saying that they opted in "After concluding it could help raise awareness of human rights issues closely associated with the nefarious activities of transnational criminal organizations (TCO) operating in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, where SOUTHCOM closely partners with Host Nations to counter the threat posed by those violent criminal groups to our hemisphere and its citizens."

The film is based on Tim Ballard, who worked for the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security before forming the organization, Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), to combat child sex trafficking.