Ben Cohen Arrested During Senate Hearing Protest Against Gaza Conflict
Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, was among seven individuals arrested for disrupting a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday. The protest occurred while U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was delivering testimony about a significant overhaul of federal health agencies. Cohen and the others vocally condemned U.S. support for Israel amid its ongoing conflict in Gaza.
As police escorted him away, Cohen articulated his stance, stating, “Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid in the US.” The group faced charges ranging from “crowding, obstructing or incommoding” to assaulting a police officer, according to the U.S. Capitol Police. Cohen, however, was charged solely with the misdemeanor offense of crowding, which can carry penalties of up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Cohen and his Ben & Jerry’s cofounder, Jerry Greenfield, have a history of activism against Israel’s actions in the region. In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, Cohen emphasized the troubling nature of America’s military support for Israel, framing it as a complicity in “genocide” in Gaza. He remarked, “If somebody protests the slaughter of people in Gaza, we arrest them. What does our country stand for?”
In past controversies, Ben & Jerry’s chose to cease sales in the West Bank and Gaza, claiming it conflicted with their corporate values, leading to a legal battle with parent company Unilever. This year, Cohen’s activism has continued as calls for accountability grow, with over 51,000 reported casualties in Gaza since the onset of the conflict following Hamas’s recent attacks.
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