Ben & Jerry’s Co-founder Ben Cohen Arrested Protesting US Gaza Policy at Senate Hearing

Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and a longtime progressive activist, was arrested by Capitol Police after disrupting a Senate hearing where Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was testifying. Cohen loudly accused Congress of funding bombs that kill children in Gaza while cutting Medicaid in the U.S., and demanded that Congress allow food into Gaza to aid starving children. The disruption included chants such as "RFK kills people with AIDS" and "RFK kills people with hate," prompting Capitol Police to forcibly remove and arrest Cohen along with other demonstrators. Cohen has a history of political activism and was previously arrested protesting Julian Assange's detention. Ben & Jerry's is known for its liberal activism, notably ending ice cream sales in Israeli-occupied Gaza in 2021 as a protest against Israel's conflict with Hamas. The incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding U.S. policy on Gaza and the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Cohen publicly criticizing the influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups in American politics.