One of many founders of the favored ice cream model Ben & Jerry’s was forcefully escorted out of a Senate listening to on Wednesday and arrested after protesting america’ involvement in Israel’s warfare on Gaza.
“Congress pays for bombs that kill children in Gaza!” Ben Cohen, the 74-year-old co-founder of the favored ice cream firm and a progressive activist, shouted on the Senate Well being, Training, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee listening to. Video reveals a Capitol police officer yanking him from the place he was standing and main him out of the room.
Cohen was additionally heard shouting, “Congress kills!”
He joined different protestors who have been denouncing controversial Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy was talking on the listening to when protestors started shouting over him.
Some studies stated that protestors shouted, “RFK kills individuals with AIDS,” whereas others stated that protestors shouted, “RFK kills individuals with hate.” (Watch the video under.)
“Members of the viewers are reminded disruptions is not going to be permitted whereas the committee conducts its enterprise,” Sen. Invoice Cassidy (R-La.) stated.
When the room appeared a bit calmer, Cassidy joked that the demonstration was a “made-for-C-SPAN second.”
In accordance with a number of retailers, USCP stated seven individuals, together with Cohen, have been arrested on the listening to on suspicion of crowding, obstructing, or incommoding. Some have been additionally arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.
A spokesperson for Cohen informed Mediaite that he wouldn’t be silenced whereas the U.S. is backing Israel’s warfare, which many organizations have referred to as a genocide and has was a disaster of hunger as Israel has blocked meals and support from getting into the territory for greater than two months. The US has permitted billions of {dollars} in weapons to Israel.
“We’re anticipated to be good People and look the opposite method as Israel prevents meals, water, and medication from reaching the remaining individuals of Gaza. Israel is actually ravenous them to demise,” the spokesperson stated.
“We is not going to look away. We is not going to be silenced. We’ll do the whole lot we are able to to get our authorities to cease being complicit in ravenous little children to demise.”
Ben & Jerry’s and its co-founders, Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, are identified for his or her activism. Cohen and Greenfield have been arrested in 2016 throughout Democracy Awakening protests on the Capitol. Cohen was additionally arrested in 2023 throughout a protest in assist of WikiLeaks writer Julian Assange.
In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s introduced that it could now not promote the ice cream “within the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)” as a result of it was “inconsistent with our values.”
USCP and Ben & Jerry’s didn’t instantly reply to JHB’s request for remark.