Ben Cohen, co -founder of the ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’sWas withdrawn from an hearing of the senatorial committee and arrested Wednesday after protesting against the war in Gaza.
A video of the incident showed him standing with several demonstrators, with some of the signs, while the health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., spoke.
“The congress sends the bombs that kill the children in Gaza and pay with Medicaid cuts,” Cohen shouted while he got up.
Senator Bill Cassidy told the group that the disturbances would not be authorized and would have them removed from the room.
The Capitol police said to Cohen and others in the room to stop their action.
He was shown outside the committee room, hands linked to the zipper behind his back while an officer walked in the corridor.
Cohen was accused of an offense punishable by a fine of $ 500 or 90 days in prison.
The other demonstrators face accusations, including the assault of a police officer or resistance to arrest, a declaration sent to media, which Axios said. The Capitol police did not immediately respond to a request for comments from Business Insider.
Cohen posted images of the incident on X.
In a later interview with Newsnation, Cohen clarified his comments and said that the congress had reduced health care for poor children and “now used the money they save to bomb other poor children in Gaza”.
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Ben & Jerry’s is no stranger to political and social activism. In November, the company continued its owner, Unilever, accusing him of silencing his political statements supporting the Palestinians.
In another file in March, Ben & Jerry’s accused Unilever of having ousted his CEO to try to “silence the social mission”.
In 2021, the brand faced a backlash to refuse to sell its ice cream in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israeli forces.
Israel and Hamas engaged in a conflict after the attacks of October 7, 2023 against Israeli civilians. A cease-fire and hostage agreement was announced in January, but the fighting continued since then.
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