Ben & Jerry’s co-founder arrested protesting Senate hearing: ‘RFK kills people with hate’

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 seven people arrested after they disrupted the hearing. While Cohen was only arrested on charges of obstruction, others involved in the protest were 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 yelled during the hearing as Kennedy delivered his opening statement. 

“RFK kills people with hate!” the chant continued, with more voices joining in. “RFK kills people with hate!”

Multiple people were eventually escorted out of the room, and  Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), paused the hearing. 

In video of the disruption posted on X by The Daily Caller, Cohen can be seen being 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 being wrangled out of the room.

“That was a made-for-C-SPAN moment,” Cassidy quipped after things settled down.

Wednesday wasn’t 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 & 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 included a decision by Ben & Jerry’s in 2021 that ended the sale of its products to Israelis in the West Bank, which the company refers to as “Occupied Palestinian Territory.”