Ben and Jerry's backs Wall Street protesters

The directors of Ben and Jerry's ice cream have thrown their support behind the Occupy Wall Street movement sweeping the United States, even if they answer to a European conglomerate. In a statement on the company's website, seen Tuesday, they shared the protesters' anger with inequity within the United States ("simply immoral"), high unemployment and unbridled political spending by big corporations. "All this goes on while corporate profits continue to soar and millionaires whine about paying a bit more in taxes," they said. "And we have not even mentioned the environment." Ben and Jerry's was founded in Vermont by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who sold their company -- built around an all-natural ethos -- to the Anglo-Dutch food and personal care giant Unilever. They are no longer on the board, but the brand still prides itself on supporting progressive causes. In August, Unilever -- which also owns Dove soap and Lipton tea -- reported first-half net profits of 2.4 billion euros ($3.3 billion), up nine percent from a year earlier.