Ben and Jerry's co-founder arrested for protesting starving children

Ben and Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen has been arrested after disrupting a senate hearing alongside fellow protesters. The group disrupted proceedings at the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing. Speaking at the time was Donald Trump’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr (RKF Jr).

Cohen himself posted footage of the incident:

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. pic.twitter.com/uOf7xrzzWM

— Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) May 14, 2025

RFK Jr. jumps in fear as protesters jump and begin to shout. Outside the hearing, Cohen is shown handcuffed as he says:

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 get food to starving kids.

Ben and Jerry’s push back

The two founders of the ice cream company, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, have previously advocated for various social justice issues. In November 2024, Ben and Jerry’s began legal action against their parent company, Unilever. As the Guardian reported, the lawsuit involves a claim that Unilever has not respected Ben and Jerry’s social mission:

Ben & Jerry’s said in the lawsuit that it has tried to call for a ceasefire, support the safe passage of Palestinian refugees to Britain, back students protesting at US colleges against civilian deaths in Gaza and advocate a halt to US military aid to Israel.

The ice cream makers said:

Unilever has silenced each of these efforts.

For their part, Unilever have said they will “defend their case.”

Cohen’s latest actions demonstrate individual agency in stark contrast to his company’s ongoing battle to maintain their attention to social justice. Earlier this month, Cohen appeared on a US show and said:

Right now, what it means to be American is that we are the world’s largest arms exporter, we have the largest military in the world, we support the slaughter of people in Gaza.

If somebody protests the slaughter of people in Gaza, we arrest them. What does our country stand for?

Starvation looms

Several organisations, including the United Nations (UN) have issued grave warnings this week over a serious risk of starvation in Gaza. On 12 May 2025, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC Global Initiative), who are responsible for measuring the risk of famine, published a report which said:

Over 60 days have passed since all humanitarian aid and commercial supplies were blocked from entering the territory. Goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks. The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with half a million people (one in five) facing starvation.

The report laid out in stark detail that if Israel continues to block the entry of food into Gaza:

there would be a critical lack of access to supplies and services that are essential to survival.

The initiative predicted further mass displacement, the collapse of any health services that may have been able to address malnutrition, and further severe deterioration of other services essential to survival. They explained that:

Only an immediate and sustained cessation of hostilities and the resumption of humanitarian aid delivery can prevent a descent into Famine.

But:

Food assistance alone will not prevent Famine.

Instead, they explain that “unhindered” humanitarian access” must be put in place. In other words, Israel must stop attacking aid workers who are attempting to save lives.

The World Food Programme’s head Cindy McCain, said:

It’s imperative that the international community acts urgently to get aid flowing into Gaza again. If we wait until after a famine is confirmed, it will already be too late for many people.

Ben and Jerry’s: optics

If anyone should be advocating to stop Israel from starving people to death, it should be the US health secretary. However, because US government is little more than official sanctioning for Israel’s genocide, it’s down to the co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s to make sure famine in Palestine is on the news agenda.

It should be an absolute disgrace that someone protesting against the starvation of children is arrested for doing so. But, it should also be a disgrace that Israel is purposefully putting Palestinians on the brink of famine and killing anyone who attempts to help.

Featured image via screengrab