WASHINGTON – Eight protestors were arrested Wednesday night during the Congressional Baseball Game, an annual tradition that raises money for charities.
US Capitol Police The USCP said officers “quickly stopped” and arrested eight people trying to protest in the square. Send to X.
The protesters are facing federal charges of interfering with a member of the U.S. Capitol Police, police said.
The USCP 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. The office also said that no one was injured during the arrests.
The group Climate Defiance claimed responsibility for the protest, posting images of protesters wearing “end fossil fuel” T-shirts being thrown into a field at X and being tackled or arrested by police officers.
“Eight of us were arrested for shutting down the Congressional Baseball Game. They are now behind bars,” the Climate Defiance group posted. “Make no mistake: Members of Congress must be shut down.”
The group also said on its website that it was “shutting down the baseball game in Congress.”
“Congress and the fossil fuel industry have chosen their side tonight: death and destruction for our entire planet,” organizer Evan Drukker-Schardl said when reached for comment.
Drukker-Schardl also pointed to Chevron, an oil and gas company, as a sponsor of the game. The game had more than 100 sponsors. Comcast NBCUniversal is the game sponsor.
Capitol police discussed the possibility of protesters before Wednesday’s game, officials said in the post.
“We were aware before the charity game that some people were planning to protest,” USCP X post says. “This was discussed during our planning meetings and has been incorporated into our comprehensive action plan to ensure we have plenty of resources to respond quickly.”
Several other protesters also stood up Palestinian flag “voluntarily left” after violating ball park rules in the stands, police said. These protesters were not arrested.
Congress Charity Sports thanked the police in a statement about Wednesday’s game.
“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 secure this historic event,” the group said.
The game pitting Democrats against Republicans raised more than $2 million for DC charities, the release said.
Climate protesters have previously been arrested outside a baseball game in 2022.
Syedah Asghar, Meriam Bouarrouge and Jean Lee contributed.