Ben Cohen, co-founder of the ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested at a Senate hearing on Wednesday for confronting Congress about its support for Israel’s slaughter of children in Gaza.
“Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid in the US,” Cohen said as he was being escorted out of the hearing by Capitol Police.
Cohen also called out Congress for its support for Israel’s starvation blockade on Gaza, which has been imposed since March 2. “Congress and senators need to ease the siege; they need to let food into Gaza,” he said.
Cohen’s protest occurred as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a staunch supporter of Israel, was giving testimony to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
Capitol Police told Axios that Cohen was charged with “Crowding, Obstructing, or Incommoding.” Six others were arrested and charged during the hearing. Based on videos of the incident, their protest was not related to Gaza.
“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,” Cohen wrote on X after the incident. “This was the authorities’ response.”
Cohen has a history of antiwar activism and was arrested at the Department of Justice in 2023 for protesting in support of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He recently appeared on the Tucker Carlson Show and discussed his opposition to US involvement in the war in Ukraine.
