Eight protesters arrested at congressional baseball game

WASHINGTON — Eight protesters were arrested Wednesday night during the Congressional Baseball Game, an annual tradition that raises money for charities.

US Capitol Police officers “quickly stopped” and arrested eight people as they attempted to protest on the field, Capitol Police he said On X.

Police said the protesters are being accused of interfering with a member of the U.S. Capitol Police, a federal charge.

The Capitol Police public information office told NBC News that the protesters are still in police custody, where they are being processed and will be taken to jail. He also said no injuries were reported during the arrests.

The group Climate Defiance took responsibility for the protest, posting photos on X of protesters wearing “end fossil fuel” t-shirts jumping onto the field and being tackled or arrested by police.

“Eight of us were arrested for shutting down the Congressional baseball game. They are behind bars now,” the group said in a post. “Make no mistake: It’s the members of Congress who should be arrested.”

The group also said on its website that it was “ending the congressional baseball game.”

Reached for comment, organizer Evan Drukker-Schardl said: “Congress and the fossil fuel industry have chosen their side tonight: death and destruction for our entire planet.”

Drukker-Schardl also pointed to Chevron, an oil and gas company that sponsored the game. The game had more than 100 sponsors, including Comcast NBCUniversal, parent company of NBC News.

Capitol Police discussed the possibility of protesters ahead of Wednesday’s game, officials said in the post.

“Prior to the charity game, we knew some people were planning to possibly protest,” Capitol Police said said in post. “This was discussed during our planning meetings and included in our comprehensive action plan to ensure we had sufficient resources to respond quickly.”

Some other protesters holding a Palestinian flag in the stands also “voluntarily left” after violating stadium rules, police said. They were not arrested.

Congressional Sports for Charity expressed gratitude to police in a statement.

“As always, we are grateful to the United States Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department and all other law enforcement agencies who worked around the clock to ensure the safety of this historic event,” the group said.

The release also noted that the game, which pits Democrats and Republicans against each other, raised more than $2 million for Washington charities.

Climate protesters have also been arrested outside the game in 2022.