Ben & Jerry's Ben Cohen Arrested at RFK Jr. Senate Hearing Protest Chaos

Chaos erupted on Capitol Hill Wednesday as Ben Cohen, the ice cream mogul behind Ben & Jerry's, found himself in handcuffs during a fiery Senate hearing. The target of the uproar? Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose opening remarks were drowned out by chants of "RFK kills people with hate!" Cohen was among seven protesters arrested, charged with obstruction, while others faced heavier counts like resisting arrest and assaulting police, according to Capitol Police.

The hearing, overseen by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, came to a screeching halt. Cassidy, with a wry smile, called it a "made-for-C-SPAN moment" as Cohen was escorted out amid the shouting. This isn’t Cohen’s first rodeo—he was nabbed in 2023 for blocking the Department of Justice entrance in D.C. while protesting Julian Assange’s detainment.

Ben & Jerry’s has long been a lightning rod for its unapologetic activism, from halting sales in the West Bank in 2021 to vocal criticism of conservative figures. Since its founding in 1978, the Vermont-based company has doubled down on progressive causes, even after its 2000 sale to Unilever. But Wednesday’s clash shows the growing tension between activism and political power—where even a scoop of Chunky Monkey can’t cool things down.