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6d ago

Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Arrested After Senate Protest Over Gaza and Medicaid Cuts

Ben Cohen disrupted a Senate hearing on the HHS budget to condemn U.S. military aid to Israel and domestic Medicaid reductions, leading to his arrest.

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(L-R) Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen, co-founders of Ben & Jerry's, partnered with MoveOn to hand out free ice cream at Franklin Square in Philadelphia during their Scoop The Vote tour to get-out-the-vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats down the ballot. on September 16, 2024 in Philadelphia.

Overview

  • Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested during a Senate hearing after protesting U.S. military support for Israel and proposed Medicaid cuts.
  • Cohen shouted that Congress funds bombs killing children in Gaza while cutting Medicaid for American children before being escorted out by Capitol Police.
  • The protest occurred during Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony on the HHS fiscal 2026 budget proposal, which includes Medicaid reductions.
  • Cohen was charged with the misdemeanor offense of crowding, obstructing, or incommoding and later released from police custody.
  • The protest highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where an 11-week Israeli blockade has led to warnings of famine, and called for Congress to allow aid deliveries.