“They need to let food to starving kids!”: Video of Ben & Jerry’s cofounder being ziptied after interrupting RFK Jr. hearing is going viral
Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested Wednesday after interrupting a congressional hearing to protest the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Cohen stood and shouted during Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony, accusing Congress of funding bombs that kill children in Gaza while cutting essential healthcare programs like Medicaid. The longtime activist, who has a history of speaking out for Palestinian rights, was led out and ziptied as he repeated his plea for aid to starving civilians.
Why did Ben Cohen interrupt RFK Jr.'s congressional testimony?
The protest by the Ben & Jerry's cofounder and others began in the middle of RFK Jr.'s testimony on the Republican plan to slash $715 billion from healthcare programs like Medicaid. As the Secretary spoke, someone began to shout, "RFK kills people with AIDS."
In a clip spreading on social media, the camera switches to Cohen as he stands and yells over the Chair's objections.
"Congress sends the bombs that kills children in Gaza and pays for it with cuts to Medicaid," he says.
He repeated this talking point to reporters as police led him in zip ties through the halls.
"They need to let food to starving kids!" he added.
The following day, Cohen released a statement on X explaining that he couldn't watch what was happening in Palestine and "not put my body on the line."
"For me, our government-funded destruction and slaughter of families living in Gaza is an attack on justice, common decency, and what I had thought was the American way. The American way that Superman used to defend, along with Truth and Justice."
Why did Ben Cohen protest during the Senate hearing?
After Israel broke the ceasefire agreement with Hamas in March, it resumed cutting off aid to civilians in Gaza. The latest report by the U.N. reveals that food supplies are once again running out, leaving the population at risk for "high levels of acute food insecurity."
For thousands of people, including children, time is running out.
"It’s imperative that the international community acts urgently to get aid flowing into Gaza again,” said World Food Programme chief Cindy McCain. “If we wait until after a famine is confirmed, it will already be too late for many people."
This is not the first time the Ben & Jerry's co-founders have stood up for Palestine. In 2021, parent company Unilever announced that it would cease sales in Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Ben and Jerry themselves ultimately disagreed with Unilever's decision to sell the company's division in Israel to the government, preferring that their ice cream not be sold in the region at all.
Unilever bought Ben & Jerry's in 2000, but only under the condition that the founders remain on an independent board of directors. This board works to maintain the brand's long-standing commitment to its social mission.
"We have a progressive, nonpartisan social mission that seeks to meet human needs and eliminate injustices in our local, national, and international communities by integrating these concerns in our day-to-day business activities," the company website reads.
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