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Ben of Ben & Jerry’s Is Arrested at Senate Hearing After Protesting War in Gaza

One of the founders of Ben & Jerry’s, Ben Cohen, was arrested on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., after he interrupted a Senate committee hearing to protest Congress’s funding for Israel’s military as it wages war against Hamas in Gaza.

Mr. Cohen, 74, was among a group of protesters that disrupted a Senate health committee hearing as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, promoted President Trump’s budget for the next fiscal year.

The protesters shouted and held up signs as Mr. Kennedy was speaking before Capitol Police officers escorted them out, according to a broadcast of the hearing. A video posted by Mr. Cohen on social media showed him being detained by police officers, his hands behind his back.

“I said that Congress is paying to bomb poor kids in Gaza and paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the U.S.,” Mr. Cohen can be heard saying in the video he posted. He also called on lawmakers to do more to get food into Gaza, where the United Nations and other aid agencies have said a famine is looming.

“They need to let food to starving kids,” he said.

Mr. Cohen was charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding, the Capitol Police said in a statement, a misdemeanor that can be punishable by up to 90 days in prison and a $500 fine if convicted.

Six other people were also arrested on charges that included assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. Mr. Cohen has been released from custody, the police said.

Mr. Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the two founders of the ice cream brand, have long been outspoken about political issues, including criticizing Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. They gave up most involvement with the company when it was sold to Unilever in 2000, but have remained outspoken, as has the company.

Ben & Jerry’s in 2021 said it would end sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank because it was “inconsistent” with the company’s values. The co-founders, who are both Jewish, wrote in a 2021 New York Times Opinion essay that they supported the company’s decision.

“As Jewish supporters of the State of Israel, we fundamentally reject the notion that it is antisemitic to question the policies of the State of Israel,” they wrote. That decision led to backlash in Israel and hurt sales at Unilever, which eventually sold the Ben & Jerry’s business in Israel to a local partner. In March 2024, Unilever said it would spin off its ice cream unit, which includes Ben & Jerry’s, to reduce costs.

Ben & Jerry’s last year sued Unilever over accusations that it had fired the ice cream brand’s chief executive because of its social activism and had censored the ice cream maker’s attempts to express support for Palestinian refugees. Unilever has rejected those claims and called for the suit to be dismissed.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/us/ben-jerrys-ben-cohen-arrested-rfk-senate-gaza.html

Apparently, Mr Ben Cohen is being charged with crowding, obstructing, and incommoding, which can cost him up to 90 days in prison. 90 days in prison for speaking up against a genocide. That right there is the world order under which you live.

To you all Africans and blacks supporting Israel’s genocide, always remember that you are at the bottom of the pecking order:

The American, European, and Australian whites come first. The Russians and Eastern European whites come next, and then we have the Arabs and everyone else in between, before we come to Africans.

We Africans are the doormat of this world. And if the powers that be can kill the Arabs at this rate and silence everyone who dares to speak up against it, then rest assured that what they can do to us will be worse. A word is enough for the wise. You should be wise.

Old news

Note that Ben Cohen is a Jew. A Jewish American founder and multimillionaire speaking up against the genocide Israel is committing in Gaza. Left to Israel’s supporters here, everyone speaking up against Israel’s genocide in Gaza is Hamas.

Are they also going to call the brave Ben Cohen Hamas for speaking up?

Let no one deceive you, lots of people are speaking up against Israel for killing civilians in occupied Palestine. You cannot steal people’s lands and expect them not to fight for it.

As they say, when oppression becomes law, resistance becomes duty.

These guys are being biased and hypocritical. Instead protesting and telling Hamas to release the hostages to put an end to the war they will rather protest against Israel. They are obviously not ready for peace.

How do u expect Israel to stop the war wen Hamas is still holding on to her citizens. Come on, let's be realistic here.

Cry all u can, the ball is in Hama's court. Release the hostages and the war ends or keep them and see destruction in Gaza.

Ok

Did you condemn the Hamas attack on the vulnerable civilians in Israel last year ?

shoodboi2:
Apparently, Mr Ben Cohen is being charged with crowding, obstructing, and incommoding, which can cost him up to 90 days in prison. 90 days in prison for speaking up against a genocide. That right there is the world order under which you live.

To you all Africans and blacks supporting Israel’s genocide, always remember that you are at the bottom of the pecking order:

The American, European, and Australian whites come first. The Russians and Eastern European whites come next, and then we have the Arabs and everyone else in between, before we come to Africans.

We Africans are the doormat of this world. And if the powers that be can kill the Arabs at this rate and silence everyone who dares to speak up against it, then rest assured that what they can do to us will be worse. A word is enough for the wise. You should be wise.

Where was Ben when Isreal was being attacked? I hope he gets more than 3 months imprisonment!

He should have done same for the Israeli victims on October.

shoodboi2:
Apparently, Mr Ben Cohen is being charged with crowding, obstructing, and incommoding, which can cost him up to 90 days in prison. 90 days in prison for speaking up against a genocide. That right there is the world order under which you live.

To you all Africans and blacks supporting Israel’s genocide, always remember that you are at the bottom of the pecking order:

The American, European, and Australian whites come first. The Russians and Eastern European whites come next, and then we have the Arabs and everyone else in between, before we come to Africans.

We Africans are the doormat of this world. And if the powers that be can kill the Arabs at this rate and silence everyone who dares to speak up against it, then rest assured that what they can do to us will be worse. A word is enough for the wise. You should be wise.

He's not being charged for speaking up. He is being charged for being disorderly. Stick to truthful narratives.

C

If u commit a crime ur children will suffer. If u permit act of terrorism against other people's children ur children won't get to live in peace.

shoodboi2:
Note that Ben Cohen is a Jew. A Jewish American founder and multimillionaire speaking up against the genocide Israel is committing in Gaza. Left to Israel’s supporters here, everyone speaking up against Israel’s genocide in Gaza is Hamas.

Are they also going to call the brave Ben Cohen Hamas for speaking up?

Let no one deceive you, lots of people are speaking up against Israel for killing civilians in occupied Palestine. You cannot steal people’s lands and expect them not to fight for it.

As they say, when oppression becomes law, resistance becomes duty.

Laughable narrative! The repercussions of stupid decisions is what is playing out! Cry to momma if you can, it won’t change a thing!

As they say, all is fair in love and war!!

The madness in Gaza needs to end. The UN is toothless

why are these people not asking Hamas to release the hostages and stop using palestinians as human shileds?

shoodboi2:
Apparently, Mr Ben Cohen is being charged with crowding, obstructing, and incommoding, which can cost him up to 90 days in prison. 90 days in prison for speaking up against a genocide. That right there is the world order under which you live.

To you all Africans and blacks supporting Israel’s genocide, always remember that you are at the bottom of the pecking order:

The American, European, and Australian whites come first. The Russians and Eastern European whites come next, and then we have the Arabs and everyone else in between, before we come to Africans.

We Africans are the doormat of this world. And if the powers that be can kill the Arabs at this rate and silence everyone who dares to speak up against it, then rest assured that what they can do to us will be worse. A word is enough for the wise. You should be wise.

Let Mr Ben live in Nigeria for 2 weeks, he will find out what's like to be Neighbour to terrorists

Lol. I thought these countries said they were angling for the end of the war.

Now someone protests for it and gets picked up.

I like this people style.

alobright17:
Did you condemn the Hamas attack on the vulnerable civilians in Israel last year ?

This is a stupid question.

Is it until every innocent person in Gaza is killed before we can conclude that Israel has provided an appropriate response to the Oct 7 attack?

Or you’re one of those that believes that these Palestinians are less humans and their deaths means nothing?

Let me tell you this, hitler did this same thing to Jews and has his reasons for doing so. How can a people that were killed in mass in less than 100 years turn around and perpetrate same to others.

The only difference now is that allied forces are complacent!

There is no genocide in Gaza. Gaza is engaged in a conflict with Israel, and Hamas knows what it would take to end this brutal war. Hamas continues to fire rockets into Israel and is holding hostages. In times of war, tough decisions are necessary to ensure security. If Israel’s neighbors are not prepared to live peacefully alongside Israel, then decisive action must be taken to protect its citizens and security.
Same Hamas that was building control centres under schools and hospitals.

Freedom of expression thrown to the gutter.

Saner clime indeed

At this rate, they will soon meet their waterloo

shoodboi2:
Apparently, Mr Ben Cohen is being charged with crowding, obstructing, and incommoding, which can cost him up to 90 days in prison..

Ben & wife didn’t do all these. I watched the video on TikTok..

Ben stood up and spoke simply regarding Gaza whatever. He didn’t make any noise. He was booted out the moment he kept on talking about Gaza genocide..

Freedom of speech in saner cline ma foot..