Ben & Jerry’s Cofounders Arrested at Washington D.C. Protests

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield Photo by Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, cofounders of the Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand, were arrested at a protest in Washington D.C. on Monday.

According to the Associated Press, Cohen and Greenfield were taken into custody during their appearance at the Democracy Awakening rally at the U.S. Capitol. Nearly 300 people were arrested in total during Monday’s protest, which was part of an ongoing series of demonstrations calling for campaign finance reform.

A post on the Ben & Jerry’s website encouraged fans to join Cohen and Greenfield at the Democracy Awakening rally.

“With corporations and billionaires pouring unlimited, unchecked dollars into politicians’ pockets and new voter restrictions popping up across the country, this is no longer a government of the people and for the people; this is a government of the rich, and for the rich,” the post read. “Feel cheated? So do we.”

Cohen, Greenfield, and the hundred of others who were arrested on Monday were charged with crowding, obstructing, or incommoding, according to police. The group of demonstrators were processed on site before being released.

Police say that more than 1,200 people have been arrested since the Democracy Spring and Democracy Awakening protests started on April 11.

The Ben & Jerry’s cofounders weren’t the only famous, Bernie Sanders supporters who were arrested during the ongoing demonstrations.

Daredevil actress Rosario Dawson was arrested on Friday for participating at a sit-in on the steps of Congress.

“I wanted personally to be in solidarity with the other folks who put themselves on the line and really just to bring attention to this because I think that’s just vitally important,” Dawson said, according to the Guardian.