On May 14, 2025, Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested during a U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing. The session, which featured Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was disrupted by Cohen and several other protesters who voiced opposition to U.S. involvement in the Gaza conflict.
As Kennedy Jr. was testifying, Cohen stood up and shouted, “Congress pays for bombs to kill children in Gaza,” accusing lawmakers of prioritizing military spending over domestic welfare programs like Medicaid. The Capitol Police swiftly intervened, removing Cohen and six other demonstrators from the room. Cohen was charged with a misdemeanor under a Washington, D.C. statute that prohibits “crowding, obstructing or incommoding,” which is commonly applied in cases of nonviolent protests. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of up to 90 days in jail, a $500 fine, or both.
In an interview following his release, Cohen expressed his frustration with U.S. foreign policy, stating, “It got to a point where we had to do something.”
He criticized the approval of $20 billion worth of bombs for Israel, arguing that such expenditures come at the expense of domestic programs that support American children.
Cohen’s protest aligns with Ben & Jerry’s longstanding tradition of political activism. In 2021, the company halted sales in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, citing its commitment to social justice. Additionally, in March 2024, Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit alleging that its parent company, Unilever, had removed its CEO, David Stever, in retaliation for the brand’s progressive stances, including its support for Palestinian rights.
The incident has sparked widespread attention and debate over the U.S. government’s role in the Gaza conflict and the allocation of federal resources. Cohen’s arrest underscores the ongoing tensions between political activism and governmental policies, highlighting the challenges faced by individuals and organizations advocating for change in the current political climate.
