--- title: Ben & Jerry's Co-Founders Arrested at U.S. Capitol Protest description: They were part of a group protesting big money in political campaigns canonical: https://time.com/4298933/ben-jerrys-founders-arrested-political-protest/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-19T14:07:27.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T16:51:33.032Z article:section: Politics og:title: Ben & Jerry's Co-Founders Arrested at Political Protest og:description: They were part of a group protesting big money in political campaigns og:url: https://time.com/4298933/ben-jerrys-founders-arrested-political-protest/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta7b3daadc2089869/69888fa8524fc07063df7a05/gettyimages-96828941.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4500 og:image:height: 2531 og:image:alt: Ben & Jerry's 100% Fairtrade - Photocall og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ben & Jerry's Co-Founders Arrested at Political Protest twitter:description: They were part of a group protesting big money in political campaigns twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta7b3daadc2089869/69888fa8524fc07063df7a05/gettyimages-96828941.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Ben & Jerry's Co-Founders Arrested at Political Protest > Sponsored content. 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Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c557d142-103f-4f45-8439-c7751cf44925&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1)  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Apr 19, 2016 2:07 PM UTC  Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield at the global announcement of Ben & Jerry's ice cream going 100% Fairtrade on February 18, 2010 in London, England Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield at the global announcement of Ben & Jerry's ice cream going 100% Fairtrade on February 18, 2010 in London, England Gareth Davies—Getty Images  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Apr 19, 2016 2:07 PM UTC Police [arrested](http://www.uscapitolpolice.gov/pressreleases/2016/PR%5FUSCPArrestApproximately300Demonstrators%5F4-18-16.pdf) ice cream entrepreneurs Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield during a protest at the U.S. Capitol Monday. The co-founders of [Ben & Jerry’s](http://time.com/4197969/stephen-colbert-presidential-candidates-ice-cream/) were among 300 people taken into custody at a gathering organized by Democracy Awakening to protest the role big money donors play in politics. The Capitol Police said in a [press release](http://www.uscapitolpolice.gov/pressreleases/2016/PR%5FUSCPArrestApproximately300Demonstrators%5F4-18-16.pdf) that those arrested were charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding. They were processed and released at the site of the protest. Ben & Jerry’s has often used the Vermont-based business to promote political causes. The company launched the “Save Our Swirled” flavor to promote climate change awareness and [changed](http://time.com/3938424/ben-jerrys-ice-cream-flavor-gay-marriage/) their chocolate chip cookie dough flavor’s name to “I Dough, I Dough” after the Supreme Court decision to recognize gay marriage. “There are two trends that everyone from Greenpeace to the NAACP has realized are making it impossible for much good work to get done,” Ben & Jerry’s [wrote on its website of the protest](http://www.benjerry.com/whats-new/ben-and-jerry-arrested). “The first is the flood of unregulated cash flowing into campaigns and elections. 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