‘Can’t call himself American …’: Ben & Jerry co-founder Ben Cohen said after being detained in protest against Senate Gaza

Ben Cohen, co-founder of ice cream brand Ben & Jerry, was detained on Wednesday during a protest in the US Senate.The protest was focused on military aid for Israel and human concerns in Gaza, disrupting a hearing where US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior was testifying.Cohen Capital was one of the several activists detained by the police. The next day in a post on X, he explained why he participated in protest: “I cannot call myself an American and put my body on line.” He said, “For me, the destruction funded by our government and the slaughter of families living in Gaza is an attack on general decency, and what I thought was an American way-American method that Superman had to defend the truth and justice as well.”Cohen was accused of a rape crime, which was commonly used in cases of civil disobedience, which was associated with congestion, obstruction or impact. A Capital Police spokesman confirmed that six other protesters were also arrested and were facing more serious allegations, including assault and opposing the arrest.A video shared on social media shows that Cohen was thrown out of the building, with hands tied behind his back. Asked why he was being arrested, Cohen replied: “The Congress killed the poor children in Gaza, and killed the children with a medicid in the US and paid it for it.”Cohen and his brand have a history of adopting the political stance. Since its establishment in 1978, Ben & Jerry has supported the reasons ranging from LGBTQ+ rights to climate change action. Quarrel with unileverIn 2000, Ben and Jerry was sold to consumer goods to veteran Unilever, although an independent board was established to maintain the social mission of the brand.However, the relationship between Ben and Jerry and Unilever has become tense in recent years. In 2021, the ice cream company announced that it would stop selling products in the West Bank, a decision that led to a legal battle between the two sides. The struggle deepened in March this year, when Ben & Jerry filed a trial, claiming that Unilever sacked CEO David Stever on political disagreement.A Unilever spokesperson responded to Cohen’s latest arrest, saying that the company is not responsible for its functions and told the BBC, “Ben Cohen takes a stand on issues as an activist that he finds person personally important. The work is on its own as a person and not from Ben and Jerry or one -sided.”