Does a social media video show pro-Palestinian protesters running onto the field during the annual Congressional Baseball Game on June 12, 2024? No, that's not true: A small group of demonstrators did storm the field at Nationals Park, interrupting the congressional game, but they were not pro-Palestinian protesters as a viral post on X claimed. Instead, they were environmental activists representing a group called Climate Defiance.
The claim appeared in a post and video (archived here) published on X, formerly Twitter, by Laura Loomer on June 12, 2024. It opened:
BREAKING: Pro-HAMAS protesters just stormed the field at @Nationals Park in Washington DC during the Congressional baseball game while members of Congress were on the field.
@CapitolPolice had to escort the HAMAS supporters off the field. @LoomerUnleashed caught it on camera.
This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:
(Source: X screenshot taken on Thu Jun 12 14:58:08 2024 UTC)
U.S. Capitol Police
Two different groups of protesters interrupted the charity ballgame that's been held every year since 1909. The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) provided details in a tweet chain (archived here) on its official X account on June 13, 2024. The three posts said:
- We are proud of our officers who are working to keep everyone safe during tonight's Congressional Baseball Game for Charity. (1/3)
- 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. (2/3)
- When eight people tried to protest on the field, our officers quickly stopped them and arrested them. The eight people are being charged with federal charges - Interference with a Member of the U.S. Capitol Police - 2 U.S.C. §1966. (3/3)
The USCP public information office declined to provide details on those who took part in the demonstrations. In a June 13, 2024, email to Lead Stories, the USCP said:
We are a federal law enforcement agency charged with protecting the Members of Congress. They attempted to interfere with that mission.
We here in the public information office are not sure what their cause was, and we tend not to amplify causes for protesters. Our focus is on enforcing the law.
Climate Defiance
An environmental group called Climate Defiance took credit for storming the field and interrupting the game. The eco-protesters posted videos (archived here) to their X account on June 12, 2024. They're embedded below:
BREAKING: We have taken the field at the Congressional Baseball Game + play has FROZEN!
-- Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) June 13, 2024
Congress sends billions of public $$ to subsidize deadly fossil fuels -- but the police are tackling us instead.
This Chevron-sponsored game cannot continue. This is unconscionable. pic.twitter.com/ZAM3kmm9f7
UPDATE: Eight of us have been arrested for shutting down the Congressional Baseball Game.
-- Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) June 13, 2024
They are behind bars right now.
Make no mistake: It's the Members of Congress who should be locked up. pic.twitter.com/tNoB4jh0xp
Climate Defiance, which identifies itself on X as a "youth-led group using direct action to resist fossil fuels," promoted its plans to disrupt the game in the days leading up to the event. Here's a screenshot of the group's website on the morning of June 13, 2024 -- the morning after the game -- before the pop-up window was taken down later that same day:
(Source: X screenshot taken on Thu Jun 12 15:04:31 2024 UTC)
The group also promoted its plans on X in a post (archived here) from June 11, 2024:
IMPORTANT: we're less than 24 hours out from blockading the Congressional Baseball Game. Calamity is nearing yet our 'leaders' fork over billions to fossil fuels. Tomorrow they play a ballgame sponsored by Chevron. We will converge. We will be impossible to forget. Share widely.
-- Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) June 11, 2024
Pro-Palestinian protesters
ABC News also reported that there were pro-Palestinian protesters at the game, but they were not involved in storming the field. The ABC story said:
Before the first pitch of the game had even been thrown, shouts rang out in the stands as roughly a dozen pro-Palestinian protesters began a demonstration opposing the U.S. government's support of Israel, which is more than eight months into the war with Hamas in Gaza.
The demonstration, which began during the colors presentation, continued into the singing of the national anthem, prompting loud counter-chants of 'USA' that originated in the Republican fan section before spreading throughout the stadium.
The report said that security promptly removed the protesters.
Read more
Other Lead Stories fact checks related to the Hamas-Israel war that began on October 7, 2023, can be found here. Other Lead Stories fact checks about climate change are here.
