Summary
Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, held a protest outside the U.S. Capitol to criticize what he sees as excessive U.S. military spending. He used a chainsaw to cut apart a model of the Pentagon filled with fake dollar bills to symbolize wasteful defense budgets. The protest is part of the DOPE campaign, which argues for reducing military expenses and reallocating funds to social programs.
Key Facts
- Ben Cohen is a co-founder of the ice cream company Ben & Jerry's and a progressive activist.
- He protested against U.S. military spending, calling it excessive.
- The protest took place in front of the U.S. Capitol and was part of the DOPE campaign.
- DOPE stands for "Department of Pentagon Excess" and opposes high defense budgets.
- Cohen used a chainsaw to dismantle a model of the Pentagon stuffed with fake money during the protest.
- He argued that military funds should be redirected to social programs instead.
- He criticized the Pentagon's high spending on items like soap dispensers and the proposed Golden Dome defense system.
- Retired Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson and Josephine Guilbeau, a former intelligence analyst, also spoke at the event.
