OAN’s James Meyers
3:30 PM – Thursday, June 13, 2024
Republicans walloped the Democrats in the 2024 edition of the annual Congressional baseball game Wednesday night, winning in dominating fashion by a score of 31-11 and extending their winning streak to four years in a row.
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However, eight climate protesters who unexpectedly arrived and made a boisterous scene at the event were also arrested on Wednesday after being tackled on the field during the game, according to U.S. Capitol Police who released a statement.
During the second inning, over half a dozen protesters hopped the fence and onto the field, wearing shirts that said, “END FOSSIL FUELS.”
The self-described “youth-led group,” Climate Defiance, took credit for the protest and shared videos on X (Twitter) of their protesters rushing the field, calling the “Chevron-sponsored” game “unconscionable.”
“Congress, Congress, you can’t hide, we charge you with ecocide,” protesters chanted outside the stadium ahead of this year’s game.
This is also the second time in two years that climate protesters have been arrested at the game. In a 2022 protest that was organized by the group “Now or Never,” the arrests of three individuals for unlawful entry occurred after they purportedly blocked one of the park’s entrances.
Additionally, at the start of the game, a separate group of pro-Palestinian protesters made themselves known in the stadium, with Capitol Police escorting the group out of the stands.
Once the game started, the Democrats briefly pulled ahead in the second inning, but the Republicans came back in a rally, scoring nine runs across the third and fourth innings. From there on, the Republicans never looked back, putting up 10 runs in the seventh inning in a blowout.
The annual Congressional game first began in 1909 and has continued every year since 1962. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the game was canceled in 2020.
“I’m glad we’re still America’s team,” Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas), the coach for the Republican team, told members of the press at the end of the game.
In response to the arrest of climate protesters, Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) wrote in a since-deleted post on X (Twitter): “Tackling climate activists at the Congressional Baseball Game. ‘Merica.’”
The Democrats left Nationals Stadium after being defeated.
“To my fellow teammates: we’ll get ’em next year,” starting catcher Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) wrote on X (Twitter).
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