- The Congressional Baseball Game is an annual tradition that began in 1909.
- In 2017, a mass shooting occurred during a pre-game practice session.
At least eight climate change protesters were arrested by police in Washington DC after storming the field during the annual Congressional Baseball Game.
The annual event, which began in 1909, sees Republicans and Democrats put aside their differences to dedicate themselves to charity, but they couldn’t escape political scrutiny Wednesday night as several protesters made their voices heard.
After pro-Palestinian flags were displayed among the crowd, anti-climate change protesters were seen jumping over barriers and storming the field at Nationals Park, the home of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals.
The match was stopped amid chaotic scenes, with some protesters pounced on them as soon as they landed on the field, while others escaped capture for a few seconds before being tackled to the ground.
As police arrested protesters on the field, clips posted online showed other onlookers shouting ‘USA! USA!’
Police try to arrest protesters who broke into the field during the charity match
The group, from Climate Defiance, wore T-shirts that said “End Fossil Fuels” while handcuffed.
In the stands, pro-Palestinian protesters also displayed flags and chanted, while others booed.
On Now they are behind bars.
“Make no mistake: It’s members of Congress who should be locked up.”
Protesters who stormed the field and wreaked havoc at the charity game wore T-shirts that said “End Fossil Fuels,” while others held signs that said “Stop Playing with Our Future.”
In another clip, police officers were seen tearing Palestinian flags from protesters’ hands while other supporters booed the unruly scenes. Others held up signs reading “Free Palestine.”
In the Nationals Park tunnel before the game, a police officer holds his gun.
Three police officers and a security guard try to suppress a climate change protester
The game at Nationals Park was marred by multiple protests in the early stages.
At least eight protesters were arrested, while the group boasted of their presence on social media
It is not the first time that the Congressional Baseball Game has generated disturbing scenes, after a mass shooting occurred in a practice session in 2017.
On June 14, James Hodgkinson, 66, shot six people, including U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, U.S. Capitol Police Officer Crystal Griner, congressional aide Zack Barth and lobbyist Matt Mik, before being shot to death.
The “act of terrorism” ended after a 10-minute shootout between Hodgkinson, a left-wing activist, and police, in which the perpetrator was killed.