Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Arrested During Senate Gaza Protest

Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's and a progressive activist, was arrested along with six others for disrupting a U.S. Senate hearing where Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was testifying about the department's budget. Cohen protested against the U.S. government's support for Israel's military actions in Gaza, criticizing the cutting of domestic social programs like Medicaid while funding military aid to Israel, which he said was causing starvation and suffering for children in Gaza. The protesters shouted slogans such as "Congress pays for bombs to kill children in Gaza" and called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza amid warnings of a critical risk of famine by the United Nations. Cohen described his actions as representing millions of Americans opposed to U.S. military spending priorities and the moral implications of the conflict. The Capitol Police charged Cohen under a code commonly used in civil disobedience cases, and videos of his removal from the hearing circulated widely. This protest spotlights ongoing controversy around U.S. foreign aid, domestic social spending, and public opinion on the Israel-Gaza conflict.