ben cohen cofounder of ben & jerry’s arrested wednesday He was demonstrating on the floor of the U.S. Senate, calling for an end to the carnage in Gaza. The protest broke out just as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was testifying. Among his crowd, Cohen became one of no less than seven DMVs demonstrators arrested that day. According to a police spokesperson, at the time he was charged with crowding, obstructing, or incommoding. This specific misdemeanor offense is most commonly cited in summary cases of civil disobedience.
The protest highlights the deepening battle lines between Cohen and Unilever, which bought the Vermont-based maker of chunky monkey ice cream in 2000. As a condition of the merger agreement, an independent board was created to protect and defend the ice cream company’s social values and mission. In 2021, their relationship soured. This change in tune followed Ben & Jerry’s announcement that it would not sell in the West Bank, a move that led to a lawsuit from corporate parent Unilever.
In March, Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit against Unilever, accusing the multinational corporation of terminating chief executive David Stever over disagreements related to the brand’s political campaigns. The publishing giant has a deep history of defending social and political movements. This commitment dates all the way back to 1978 when Cohen and Jerry Greenfield first started the company, and it has greatly shaped their response to the ongoing conflict.
Cohen’s activism is well-documented. At a recent protest, he made clear why he is so passionate about opposing U.S. military aid to Israel. He pointed to its particularly devastating impact on children in Gaza. He stated, “Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid in the US.” This impassioned proclamation brings to the fore the collision between his entrepreneurial ethos and personal beliefs.
Unilever has put itself on record, and we commend their leadership on this issue. They specifically lamented the public release of what they referred to as a “confidentiality of an employee career conversation.” The company further emphasized Cohen’s right to express his views as an activist citizen, stating that he takes stances on issues he finds personally important.
The courtroom showdown between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever saga plays on, with the parties significantly dug into their corners. Taking a stand in this case, the outcome of the dispute may be quite important for the ice cream company. Yet it stands to influence the larger debate about corporate responsibility and social activism.
At the same time, tensions are escalating in U.S. politics over military aid and humanitarian issues. In response, Cohen and his fellow protesters are at the forefront of a burgeoning movement to make lawmakers pay for passing policies hurting our most vulnerable—sometimes literally.