Overview

• Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s and long-time activist, was arrested during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on May 15, 2025.
• Cohen interrupted Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony, protesting U.S. military aid to Israel and calling attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
• He has been charged under District of Columbia laws prohibiting assemblies, obstruction, and harassment in government proceedings.
• Six other demonstrators were also arrested, with some facing more severe charges, including assaulting a police officer.
• The arrest comes as Ben & Jerry’s remains embroiled in a legal dispute with parent company Unilever over the scope of the brand’s political activism.