Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, was detained for demonstrating during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Senate hearing.
Cohen was among seven individuals removed from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee meeting on May 15, at the US Capitol in Washington DC.
His protest coincided with RFK Jr.’s testimony to the committee. Kennedy was appointed head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by President Donald Trump in February.
Footage of the event shows the 74-year-old businessman protesting against the conflict in Gaza and the US’s role, accusing the government of contributing to the deaths of Palestinian children.
“You’re killing poor kids in Gaza and paying for it by cutting Medicaid for kids here,” Cohen can be heard shouting before being detained by police.
As Cohen was escorted out, he continued to voice his protest, shouting: “Congress and the senators need to ease the siege. They need to let food into Gaza. They need to let food to starving kids.”
Following the incident, Cohen expressed his views on Twitter: “I told Congress they’re killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they’re paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US. This was the authorities’ response.”
He later added: “I can’t call myself an American and not put my body on the line.”
Cohen further commented: “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.”
Earlier, Cohen attended a pro-Palestine event with Democratic Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib.
During the meeting, another protestor targeted RFK Jr., shouting: “RFK kills people with AIDs!”
Chants like ‘when Bobby lies, children die’, and ‘anti-vax, anti-science, anti-America’, were also heard.
The remaining six protesters, apart from Cohen, faced charges of resisting arrest and assault on an officer.
During the hearing, the 71-year-old HHS chief was questioned about his vaccine views. Kennedy has made claims about vaccines causing harm, which have been widely debunked by experts.
One such claim is that vaccines cause autism, a theory that has been discredited.
Some individuals have called for Kennedy’s resignation following his remarks at the meeting.