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 charity.

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

Police said the protesters were charged with obstructing a member of the U.S. Capitol Police, a federal offense.

The Capitol Police press office told NBC News that the protesters are still in police custody, where their requests are being processed and they are being taken to jail. It also said no injuries were reported during the arrests.

The group Climate Defiance claimed responsibility for the protest and posted on X images of protesters wearing “End fossil fuels” T-shirts jumping onto the field and being attacked or arrested by police.

“Eight of us were arrested for shutting down the Congressional Baseball Game. They are now behind bars,” said one post from the group. “Make no mistake: It is the Congressmen who should be locked up.”

The group also stated on its website that it would “end the congressional baseball game.”

When asked 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, which sponsored the game. The game had more than 100 sponsors, including Comcast NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.

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

“Prior to the charity game, we were aware that some people may want to protest,” Capitol Police said in the X-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 left the stadium “voluntarily” after violating the stadium’s rules, police said. They were not arrested.

Congressional Sports for Charity expressed its gratitude to the 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 security of this historic event,” the group said.

The statement also said the game, which pits Democrats against Republicans, raised more than $2 million for Washington charities.

Climate protesters were also arrested outside of the game in 2022.