Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, was arrested for humanitarian conditions against Israel and Gaza in a U.S. Senate protest.

Protesters undermined the testimony of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr during a hearing Wednesday.

US Capitol police told BBC News that Mr Cohen was charged with misdemeanor crimes, while six other protesters were arrested and faced many more serious charges.

A video shared on social media shows Mr. Cohen is accompanied by police with his hands tied behind his back.

“Congress has paid for it by buying bombs to kill poor children in Gaza and by kicking children’s Medicaid in the United States,” he was asked why he was “arrested.”

A police spokesman said Mr. Cohen was charged with allegations of crowding, obstruction or discomfort – misdemeanor crimes are frequently used in civil disobedience cases in the U.S. capital.

Six other protesters were also arrested at the hearing and filed lawsuits, including assaulting police officers and/or refusing to arrest.

Since Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were founded in 1978 in 1978, Ben & Jerry's has long been known for taking a public stance on social and political issues.

It often supports campaigns on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and climate change.

Ben & Jerry's was purchased by multinational consumer goods giant Unilever in 2000.

The merger agreement between the two companies creates an independent committee responsible for protecting Ben & Jerry's values ​​and mission.

But Unilever and Ben & Jerry have been on Loggerheads for a while. Their relationship worsened in 2021 when Ben & Jerry announced that it would stop sales in the West Bank.

Currently, the two companies are in a legal battle.

In response to a request for comment, a Unilever spokesman told BBC News: “Ben Cohen took an activist stance on issues he personally considers important.

“These actions are individuals as individuals, not on behalf of Ben & Jerry or Unilever.”

In March, Ben & Jerry filed a legal case accusing Unilever of firing CEO David Stever, disagreeing over the brand’s political movement.

At the time, a Unilever spokesman said, "What was disappointing was that the employee career dialogue was already made public."

The dispute escalated last year due to a ceasefire advocated by Ben & Jerry in Gaza.