Eight protesters arrested at Congressional Baseball Game

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