Climate protesters plan to disrupt Congressional Baseball Game

Climate protesters are planning to disrupt the Congressional Baseball Game unless Congress gets legislation across the finish line. 

At the annual event, Democrats face off against Republicans in a friendly match to raise money for charity.

But this year, the activists say they will try to prevent it from happening unless the players get climate action across the finish line in Congress.

“We refuse to watch a member of Congress play baseball while the world burns,” Jamie DeMarco, federal policy director for Chesapeake Climate Action Network, told The Washington Post. 

A website that appears to be affiliated with the action — which, according to The Post will include members of several climate groups— says that activists will “converge en masse” on the event, and “shut it down” if politicians don’t deliver. 

The Post reported that the protesters are pushing for the passage of a climate bill through reconciliation— a process that only requires a simple majority. 

Senate Democrats have pushed for months on a major spending bill that includes significant climate investments, but have stalled amid disagreements with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). 

Manchin is still negotiating with Senate leadership; it’s not clear what will ultimately come of those talks. 

The game is slated to take place on July 28. The website affiliated with the protest says that if by that time, Congress has passed or is close to passing climate legislation, “we may use a more conciliatory tactic. “

Ryan Thompson, the chairman of the Congressional Baseball Game, said he still believes the event will go on.

“We are anticipating a record-breaking crowd, we’re expecting record-breaking fundraising, we’re expecting to have just a huge event and it’s going to be as big or bigger than we’ve ever had it,” he said.

He also said that multiple federal law enforcement agencies would provide security for the event. And Thompson also noted that the event is for charity, arguing that any disruption would do more harm than good.

“The Congressional Baseball Game for Charity is not a platform for any political or policy statements,” he said. “It’s about Democrats and Republicans coming together to help the vulnerable and underserved in our community.”

“Disrupting the game would only result in the potential loss of support and funding for dozens of nonprofits in the D.C. metro area that are doing important work like feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, providing after school and other leadership programs for vulnerable underserved children and women’s shelters,” Thompson added.