Ben Cohen, one of the founders behind the famous ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested Wednesday during a Senate committee hearing featuring testimony from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
According to a spokesperson for the U.S. Capitol Police, Cohen was among seven protesters removed from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing.
The disruption began when several protesters stood up displaying signs during Kennedy’s testimony, with one individual shouting, “RFK kills people with AIDS.”
Moments after this initial interruption, Cohen rose from his seat and began voicing accusations that Congress was complicit in the deaths of children in Gaza during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Committee chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) promptly called for Capitol Police to remove the protesters from the hearing room when the disruptions continued.
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Law enforcement officers physically escorted Cohen and six other pro-Gaza protesters from the premises.Â
All seven individuals were charged with crowding, obstructing and incommoding, which constitutes a misdemeanor offense under laws prohibiting protests inside congressional buildings.
While the other six protesters face additional charges of resisting arrest and assault on a police officer, Capitol Police indicated that Cohen was only charged with the initial misdemeanor.
Following the removal of the protesters, Sen. Cassidy remarked, “That was a made for C-SPAN moment,” before continuing with the committee proceedings.
In video footage posted to social media platform X shortly after his arrest, Cohen can be seen in restraints being escorted away by police while continuing his protest message.
“Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid in the U.S.,” Cohen stated as officers led him away.
The ice cream entrepreneur further declared, “Congress and the senators need to ease the siege. They need to let food into Gaza. They need to let food to starving kids.”
Capitol Police later confirmed that Cohen has been released from custody following the incident.
NBC News reported that when reached for comment about the co-founder’s arrest, representatives from Ben & Jerry’s did not immediately respond to inquiries on Wednesday evening.
This incident follows a history of the ice cream company taking political stances regarding Israeli policies.
In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s made headlines when it announced a decision to halt ice cream sales in occupied territories.
At that time, the company issued a statement declaring, “We believe it is inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
The Senate hearing continued as scheduled following the removal of Cohen and the other protesters, with Secretary Kennedy completing his planned testimony before the committee.
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