Eight climate protesters were arrested at Wednesday’s Congressional Baseball Game after running onto the field.
The protesters were tackled by U.S. Capitol Police and were charged with federal charges, including Interference with a Member of the U.S. Capitol Police, according to a statement from authorities.
The protest was organized by a self-described “youth-led group.” Climate Defiance took credit for the incident and was vocal for days leading up to the game about their plans.
Members were reportedly protesting before the game began. During the second inning, over a half dozen protesters jumped the fence onto the field wearing shirts that said, “END FOSSIL FUELS.”
Capitol Police were aware of the incident in advance due to the group revealing their plans and planned ahead.
“Before the charity game, we were aware that some people planned to possibly protest. This was discussed during our planning meetings and put in our comprehensive action plan to ensure we had plenty of resources to swiftly respond,” Capitol police said in a statement on X.
Chants of “USA” from those in attendance drowned out the protestors.
The climate group was not the only protestors at the game.
Before the first pitch, shouts from roughly a dozen pro-Palestinian protestors rang out, protesting the U.S.’s support of Israel as the country’s war in Gaza against Hamas continues.
This demonstration began during the colors presentation and continued into the singing of the national anthem, which prompted loud counter chants of “USA” that started in the Republican fan section before making it around the entire ballpark.
