WASHINGTON — Eight protesters were arrested Wednesday night during the Congressional Baseball Game, a yearly tradition that raises money for charities.
U.S. Capitol Police officers "quickly stopped" and arrested eight people as they tried to protest on the field, Capitol Police said on X.
Police said the protesters are being charged with interference 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. It also said no injuries were reported during arrests.
The group Climate Defiance took responsibility for the protest, posting pictures to X of protesters wearing shirts reading "end fossil fuels" jumping onto the field and being tackled or arrested by police officers.
"Eight of us have been arrested for shutting down the Congressional Baseball Game. They are behind bars right now," the group said in a post. "Make no mistake: It’s the Members of Congress who should be locked up."
The group had also said on its website that it was "shutting down the congressional baseball game."
Reached for comment, organizer Evan Drukker-Schardl said, "Congress and the fossil fuel industry have picked 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, the parent company of NBC News.
Capitol Police had discussed the possibility of protesters before Wednesday’s game, officials said in the post.
“Before the charity game, we were aware that some people planned to possibly protest,” Capitol Police said in the X post. “This was discussed during our planning meetings and put in our comprehensive action plan to ensure we had plenty of resources to swiftly respond.”
A few other protesters who held up a Palestinian flag in the stands also "left voluntarily" after having violated ballpark rules, police said. They were not arrested.
Congressional Sports for Charity expressed gratitude for the police in a statement.
"As always, we are grateful for the United States Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police Department, and all the other law enforcement agencies who worked around the clock to ensure the safety of this historic event," the group said.
The statement also noted that the game, which pits Democrats and Republicans against each other, raised more than $2 million for Washington charities.
Climate protesters were also arrested outside the game in 2022.
