Ben Cohen, a co-founder of the ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested on Capitol Hill Wednesday afternoon during a Senate hearing involving Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
On Tuesday afternoon, US Capitol Police (USCP) arrested Cohen and seven others for disrupting a hearing.While Cohen was only arrested for obstruction, others who participated in the protest were arrested for resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer, Capitol Police reported.
However, it is unclear how many people were charged with more serious offenses.
“RFK kills people with hate!” a protester yelled during Kennedy’s opening statement at the hearing.
“RFK kills people with hate!” The chant continued, and more voices joined in. “RFK kills people with hate!”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), paused the hearing after several people were escorted out.
The Daily Caller’s video of the disruption shows Cohen being forcibly removed from the hearing room by a Capitol Police officer.
“Members of the audience are reminded that disruptions are not permitted while the committee conducts its business. “The Capitol Police have been asked to remove the individuals from the hearing room,” Cassidy said as Cohen was escorted out.
“That was a made-for-C-SPAN moment,” Cassidy remarked after things calmed down.
Wednesday was not Cohen’s first arrest while protesting in the nation’s capital. In 2023, he was arrested outside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for blocking the entrance to the Department of Justice (DOJ) building in Washington, DC. He was protesting Julian Assange’s detention.
Republicans frequently target Ben & Jerry’s, criticizing the company and its founders for their support of progressive activism and politicians. They frequently criticize Trump.
Ben & Jerry’s has been known for its left-leaning advocacy since its inception in 1978, and the Vermont-based ice cream maker was able to maintain an independent board of directors to continue its progressive activism after being sold to Unilever in 2000.
In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s stopped selling its products to Israelis in the West Bank, also known as “Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
