Ben Cohen, one of the founders of the American ice cream chain Ben & Jerry's, was thrown out yesterday (Wednesday) from a Senate meeting in Washington after he stood up from his seat and shouted against American support for Israel, claiming it leads to the deaths of children in Gaza.
The incident occurred during the appearance of U.S. Health Secretary Bobby Kennedy before the Senate. Concurrently with Cohen, six additional protesters were detained for interrupting with cries against the government's policy – some protested Kennedy's opposition to COVID-19 vaccinations.
After the protesters were detained, Cohen was heard shouting: "You're killing poor kids in Gaza and paying for it by cutting Medicaid for kids here."
He also said, "Congress and the senators need to ease the siege. They need to let food into Gaza. They need to let food to starving kids."
Cohen continued his activism by participating in a demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinians alongside Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.
In a statement he later published, he wrote: "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."