Ben Cohen, one of the co-founders 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) Department Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
United States Capitol Police (USCP) confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Cohen was among the seven people arrested after they disrupted the hearing. While Cohen was only arrested on charges of obstruction, others involved in the protest were also arrested for resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer, Capitol Police said.
However, it is unclear how many people were charged with the more severe violations.
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“RFK kills people with hate!” a protester blurted out during the hearing as Kennedy was giving his opening statement. “RFK kills people with hate!” the chant continued, with more voices joining in. “RFK kills people with hate!”
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen (LEFT) was arrested Wednesday while protesting on Capitol Hill. (GETTY/FOX NEWS)
Multiple people were eventually escorted out of the room, during which the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., paused the hearing.
In video of the disruption posted on X by The Daily Caller, Cohen can be seen getting forcibly pulled out of the hearing room by a Capitol Police officer.
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Members of the audience are reminded disruptions will not be permitted while the committee conducts its business. Capitol Police are asked to remove the individuals from the hearing room,” Cassidy said as Cohen was getting wrangled out of the room.
“That was a made-for-C-SPAN moment,” Cassidy quipped after things settled down.
Protesters showed up to a Senate hearing with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday, and shortly into his opening statement they began yelling that the HHS secretary “kills people with hate.” (GETTY IMAGES/FOX NEWS)
Wednesday does not mark the first time Cohen has been arrested 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, D.C., where he was protesting the detainment of Julian Assange.
Ben & Jerry’s is frequently a target of Republicans, who have slammed the company and its founders over their support of progressive activism and politicians. They are also frequent critics of Trump.
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Ben Cohen (left) and Jerry Greenfield at the global announcement of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream going 100% Fairtrade on February 18, 2010 in London, England. (Gareth Davies/Getty Images)
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Ben & Jerry’s has been known for its left-leaning advocacy since its founding in 1978, and the Vermont-based ice-cream maker was able to maintain an independent board of directors to continue its progressive activism even after it sold to Unilever in 2000.
One of those moments includes a decision by Ben & Jerry’s in 2021, which ended the sale of its products to Israelis in the West Bank, which the company refers to as “Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Fox Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.