Popular ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s has condemned Wednesday’s riots at the Capitol in a series of comments it posted on Instagram and Twitter on Thursday that culminated in its demand that President Trump be removed from office.
“Yesterday was not a protest—it was a riot to uphold white supremacy,” began the company's statement.
“It was allowed to happen. The mostly white insurrectionists roamed freely and without consequence through the heart of our democracy. The only explanation is that this was allowed to happen because they were white—not Black, Brown or Indigenous people.
“The white mob that made its way to the dais of the US House of Representatives and the Senate, literally sitting in the chair the vice president had been in minutes before, is the ultimate embodiment of white privilege.”
Ben & Jerry’s also pointed out what it feels is a clear distinction in the country, thrown into sharp focus after Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock won Senate seats in Georgia, defeating incumbent Republicans in historic victories.
“We saw two Americas yesterday. In one America we saw record voter turnout driven by Black voters that resulted in the election of the first Black and first Jewish senators from the state of Georgia—our democracy at its best,” the company wrote.
“In the second America we saw a mostly white mob, encouraged by the president, violently invade the seat of our democracy in an attempt to overturn a free and fair election. It was a failed coup—our democracy in peril.”
Ben & Jerry’s said “the double standard” that exists along racial lines needs to be addressed.
“Both of these Americas are us. Black and Brown people have long understood this. They’ve been exposed to the white tyranny that was on full display at yesterday’s riot since the founding of our nation,” it wrote. “It’s the double standard that undergirds white supremacy in our nation. Both of these Americas are us. How we respond to the events of yesterday will determine which America we will be.
The company then concluded with a succinct, yet forceful, demand asking for President Trump’s removal.
“Resign, impeach, 25th Amendment... not one more day,” it said.
Ben & Jerry’s is no stranger to speaking out on social and political issues while also promoting the company's values. Last month, it announced it will had joined with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on a new flavor called “Change the Whirled,” featuring his image on containers. His proceeds will go to his Know Your Rights Camp, whose goal is the advancement of Black and Brown communities.
After George Floyd's killing last year, Ben & Jerry's issued a statement in outrage.
"We have to speak out. We have to stand together with the victims of murder, marginalization, and repression because of their skin color, and with those who seek justice through protests across our country. We have to say his name: George Floyd," the company wrote on its website.
Ben & Jerry's also voiced support for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which “addresses a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability,” according to Congress.gov.