Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, was accused of “crowding and obstructing” others after being arrested while protesting the Gaza lockdown during a US Senate hearing.
Cohen, Ben & Jerry’s Ben, set his position on Wednesday, but Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was working on a hearing with the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The group of activists robbed the secretary over his anti-vaccine stance, yelling, “If Bobby lies, your child dies” and “Anti-Vax, anti-science, anti-American.”
Cohen then stood up and protested in Gaza. Video film recorded at the hearing and posted by Cohen on social media shows him being kicked out of the committee room, handcuffed and escorted.
When he was being taken away, the woman asked him why he was arrested.
He replied: “Congress will buy bombs to kill poor children in Gaza, kick the children from Medicaid in the US and pay it,” he added: “The Congress and the senators need to ease the siege. They need to keep food in Gaza. They need to feed hungry children.”
Gaza is currently in its 11th week of complete Israeli lockdown. This prevents important items such as food, fuel, and medicines that reach the 2.3 million Palestinians in the region. Many people survive with a limited supply of canned peas or dried beans.
This week, a report from food security experts warned Gaza was at a “significant risk of hunger.”
Cohen founded Jerry Greenfield and Ben & Jerry, whom he met when he met at Merrick’s school on Long Island, New York. They opened their business in Burlington, Vermont, and saw it grow into an international brand and one of the largest ice cream companies in the United States.
Both founders became not only activists, but also prominent philanthropists through their foundations. Cohen was a major supporter of Bernie Sanders, an independent US senator and Democratic presidential candidate, headquartered in Burlington.
After the newsletter promotion
The Ben & Jerry duo have been frank over the years about the issue of Israel and Palestinians. They described themselves as “prideful Jews” and supporters of the state of Israel, but were also remarkably critical of the Israeli government’s policies.
In 2021, they co-authored an article in The New York Times, supporting the ice cream company’s decision. “It is not a contradiction or anti-Semitism for us to support the company’s decisions,” they wrote. “In fact, I believe this act should be considered to be able to advance the concept of justice and human rights, the core doctrine of Judaism.”
Cohen was charged with seven other protesters from Wednesday’s protest. The “crowding, obstruction, or rude” charges are commonly used against Washington, D.C. protesters, leviing a $500 fine for up to 90 days in prison, or both.