A protest at a Senate hearing took an unexpected turn when a well-known business figure was escorted out in zip-ties, drawing sharp reactions across social media and reigniting debate over U.S. policy on Gaza.
Ben Cohen was arrested on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, during a protest at a U.S. Senate hearing in Washington, D.C., drawing widespread attention and reactions online.
A netizen’s comment on Ben Cohen, dated May 16, 2025 | Source: Facebook/Reuters
The hearing, where Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was testifying, was disrupted by several demonstrators advocating against U.S. military aid to Israel and calling attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
According to U.S. Capitol Police, Mr. Cohen was charged with “crowding, obstructing or incommoding,” a misdemeanor charge often applied in civil disobedience cases in the U.S. capital.
Ben Cohen is detained by the U.S. Capitol Police for disrupting proceedings during a hearing with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on May 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
Alongside him, six other individuals were taken into custody and now face more serious allegations, including assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.
Footage shared on Cohen’s X account showed him being led out of the building by police with his hands zip-tied behind his back.
As he was being escorted, an unidentified female reporter asked, “Ben, what are you calling for the Congress and senators to do for Gaza?” Cohen responded, “Congress and the senators need to ease the siege. They need to let food into Gaza. They need to let food to starving kids.”
The U.S. Capitol Police detains Ben Cohen for disrupting proceedings during a hearing with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on May 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
In the same video, he also stated, “Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid in the US.” He made these comments after being asked why he was “getting arrested.”
Cohen’s arrest prompted a variety of reactions across social media platforms. On X, opinions were mixed. One person wrote, “Cohen? Seriously? Shame on you.”
Another commented, “Good. You disrupted a congressional hearing. What did you think was going to happen?” One individual observed, “That looked really staged, the cop allowed to you [sic] talk all the way.” Another simply said, “That is crazy!”
On Facebook, reactions focused more on the treatment of Cohen during the arrest. One person noted, “They zip-tied his hands? Really?!” Another remarked, “Kind of rough on Ben [sic].”
Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s, is detained by the U.S. Capitol Police for disrupting proceedings during a hearing with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on May 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
Someone else mentioned, “The cop looked like he was enjoying his job a little TOO much in that video lol.” Another expressed, “He was dragged out like a five-year-old having a tantrum.” One person added, “He literally tossed him lol [sic].”
Cohen is widely recognized as the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, the iconic ice cream brand he launched with Jerry Greenfield in 1978.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are pictured in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
According to the company’s official website, their beginnings were modest, “With a $5 correspondence course in ice cream-making from Penn State and a $12,000 investment ($4,000 of it borrowed), Ben and Jerry open their first ice cream scoop shop in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont.”
Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen are pictured in New York on May 16, 1993 | Source: Getty Images
Cohen has often emphasized that his role at Ben & Jerry’s goes beyond business. In a July 26, 2020, interview with The New York Times, he addressed his purpose within the company.
“We have no responsibilities and no authority, but no, I don’t regard myself as a mascot. I regard myself as a person who is focused on justice. When Ben & Jerry’s does something that aligns with my belief in justice, I do everything I can to support that,” he shared.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield partnered with MoveOn to hand out free ice cream at Franklin Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Ben & Jerry’s has built a reputation for taking public stances on social and political matters, including LGBTQ+ rights and climate change.
Though Unilever acquired the company in 2000, a merger agreement established an independent board responsible for maintaining Ben & Jerry’s values and mission.
However, tensions between Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s escalated in 2021 when the ice cream brand announced it would halt sales in the West Bank, prompting an ongoing legal dispute between the two entities.
Ben Cohen, left, and Jerry Greenfield, attend an event on police reform and ending qualified immunity outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on May 20, 2021 | Source: Getty Images
In response to Cohen’s recent arrest and related actions, a spokesperson for Unilever told BBC News, “Ben Cohen takes stances as an activist citizen on issues he finds personally important. These actions are on his own as an individual and not on behalf of Ben & Jerry’s or Unilever.”
Ben Cohen, left, and Jerry Greenfield attend an unveiling ceremony for their ice cream company’s new flavor, Justice ReMixd, at the National Press Club on September 3, 2019 | Source: Getty Images
Cohen’s arrest during the Senate hearing highlights his continued commitment to activism on humanitarian issues. As legal proceedings unfold, the incident highlights the broader debate surrounding protest, policy, and individual advocacy in high-profile public spaces.
