Ben & Jerry’s co-founder: I knew I was disturbing the peace

BURLINGTON, Vt. – The co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream knew he was disturbing the peace with a noisy demonstration against fighter jets.

Ben Cohen told the Burlington Free Press that’s exactly the point.

Cohen was one of three activists arrested for disorderly conduct Saturday after blasting jet noise from a mobile public address system in Burlington, Vermont.

He said the goal was to simulate what it might be like for residents living under the flight path of Vermont National Guard F-35 fighters. He tweeted that if he violated the city noise ordinance then the fighter jets will, too.

Burlington voters will weigh in Tuesday on whether city officials should oppose F-35s at the Burlington International Airport. Critics say the F-35s are noisier than fighters currently used by the Vermont National Guard.