Ben & Jerry's co-founder arrested for Gaza protest at Senate hearing
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Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested after disrupting a Senate hearing with a protest against US policies affecting Gaza and Medicaid.
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Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, center, is taken into custody by Department of Homeland Security Police for blocking the entrance to the Department of Justice on July 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Ben Cohen, co-founder of the ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested on Wednesday after disrupting a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in protest for the US' role in the genocide in Gaza.
The incident occurred during a session where NBC News reported that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was speaking to the committee. Cohen was among seven protesters detained by police after shouting during the hearing.
During the protest, some attendees shouted phrases such as "RFK kills people with AIDs!" and "When Bobby lies, children die," targeting Kennedy's vaccine views.
Police quickly intervened and began removing the protesters from the room.
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Moments later, Ben Cohen stood up and accused the US government of complicity in the deaths of children in Gaza. Footage shows him gesturing and shouting at the US health secretary, saying, "You're killing poor kids in Gaza and paying for it by cutting Medicaid for kids here."
Cohen was one of the last protesters to be removed, but continued to voice his demands. "Congress and the senators need to ease the siege. They need to let food into Gaza. They need to let food to starving kids," he said.
The other six protesters were charged with resisting arrest and assault on an officer, according to NBC News.
I told Congress they're killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they're paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US. This was the authorities' response. pic.twitter.com/uOf7xrzzWM
— Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) May 14, 2025
Earlier on the same day, Cohen had attended a pro-Palestine event alongside Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib. He later shared a video of the protest on Twitter, stating, "I told Congress they're killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they're paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US. This was the authorities' response."
Ben Cohen has a history of activism and arrests. In July 2023, he was detained after protesting the US prosecution of Julian Assange.
History of activism
It is worth mentioning that Ben & Jerry's has a long history of standing with Palestine against the Israeli occupation and its aggression campaigns. Last year in November, the company filed a complaint on November 14, accusing its parent company, Unilever, of withholding its support for Palestinian refugees and threatening to disband its board and prosecute its members over the matter.
The lawsuit was the latest manifestation of long-standing disputes between Ben & Jerry's and consumer goods company Unilever since 2021, when Ben & Jerry's announced that it would stop selling its goods in the Israeli-occupied West Bank because it was contradictory to its beliefs, prompting some investors to liquidate Unilever stock.
The ice cream producer then sued Unilever for transferring its business in "Israel" to a local licensee, allowing marketing in the West Bank and "Israel" to continue. The lawsuit was resolved in 2022.
Read next: Ben & Jerry’s claims Unilever ousted CEO over pro-Palestine views
In its latest case, Ben & Jerry's claims that Unilever violated the conditions of the 2022 deal, which have remained undisclosed. According to the complaint, Unilever is bound by the agreement to "respect and acknowledge the independent board's primary responsibility over Ben & Jerry's social mission."
"Ben & Jerry's has on four occasions attempted to publicly speak out in support of peace and human rights," as per the complaint. "Unilever has silenced each of these efforts."
Ben & Jerry's stated in the lawsuit that it has attempted to call for a ceasefire, support the safe passage of Palestinian refugees to Britain, support students protesting civilian deaths in Gaza, and advocate for a halt in US military aid to "Israel," but has been blocked by Unilever. Gaza war and casualties overview
