Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Arrested at Senate Hearing

Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen was arrested Wednesday at a US Senate hearing, where he interrupted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to protest what's happening in Gaza. Kennedy was addressing a hearing of the health, education, labor, and pensions committee when a group of activists started heckling him, chanting, "Anti-vax, anti-science, anti-America," and "When Bobby lies, children die," the Guardian reports. Then Cohen stood up and accused Congress of being partially responsible for the deaths of children in Gaza, NBC News reports. The committee chair asked Capitol Police to intervene, and Cohen and six others were physically removed from the room.

As he was being led away in handcuffs, a woman asked Cohen why he was being arrested, and he replied, "Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid in the US. Congress and the senators need to ease the siege, they need to let food into Gaza. They need to let food to starving kids." Israel's blockade of Gaza is in its eleventh week, keeping food and medicine from reaching Gazans. The seven protesters were charged with crowding, obstructing, and incommoding, a misdemeanor, and all but Cohen were also charged with resisting arrest and assault on a police officer, Fox News reports. (The ice cream brand is known for its activist stances.)