Activists have staged an anti-Israel protest outside a new Gail’s bakery in Brixton, displaying posters of loaves of bread strapped to bombs.
The upmarket bakery chain recently opened its south London outlet, but the launch has triggered an angry backlash over alleged links to Israel’s war in Gaza and claims that the business is contributing to gentrification in Brixton.
Billboard posters placed near Brixton Market call for a boycott of the bakery. One image shows a loaf of Gail’s bread attached to what appears to be an explosive device.
The protest follows similar action at other Gail’s locations, including a newly opened branch in Archway, north London, which was vandalised by pro-Palestinian protesters.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism has condemned the Brixton posters, which come after comparable attacks on the bakery chain elsewhere. Gail’s denies having links to Israel.
Activists have repeatedly targeted Gail’s, alleging that the company is complicit in Israel’s military operations in Gaza. They point to Bain Capital, the chain’s largest shareholder, and its investments in Israeli defence and cyber-security companies.
The posters were produced by activist group Strapline, which urged the public not only to avoid Gail’s but also to protest against the bakery’s arrival in Brixton.
The campaign features slogans including “A rising threat” and “Avoid Gail’s”, while linking the company to what activists call “the genocidal state of Israel”.
Posters have been put up in Brixton, south London, urging people to boycott a new Gail’s branch
The new Brixton outlet opened last Friday, while other Gail’s branches have also been targeted by pro-Palestinian activists. The company denies links to any country outside the UK
The boycott posters were produced by campaign group Strapline
The accompanying text accuses Gail’s of sitting “at the intersection of aggressive corporate expansion which harms local communities”.
Campaigners also describe the bakery chain as a symbol of “the current wave of what can only be described as late-stage gentrification in Brixton”.
A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism told Our News Outlet: “Targeting a bakery because of perceived associations is collective punishment dressed up as virtue.
“Palestine activists have been targeting branches of Gail’s for a long time now — sometimes violently.
“The association of the bakery with Jews, Israel and rapacious capitalism is a classic trope. The police should monitor this situation before it escalates.”
The posters have also drawn widespread criticism on social media, with some users saying the campaign had made them more inclined to visit Gail’s rather than boycott it.
One person described the posters as “pathetic”, writing on X: “Anything that tidies up the area around the Tube is to be welcomed. I am not a fan of Gail’s but I will be going in for a coffee next time I am in Brixton.”
Another X user asked: “Why on earth would anyone wish a business to fail, employing local folk?”
A further commenter questioned the focus on Gail’s, saying: “It’s illogical to target them for having investors that also invest in Israel without targeting all the other chains that do and there are dozens of them, many near there.”
Separate comments on X included ‘I’ll make sure to go there’ and ‘Wouldn’t surprise me if this increased sales at Gail’s’.
Gail’s is based on a firm founded in 1993 by British-Israeli baker Gail Mejia before Israeli entrepreneur Ran Avidan led its expansion from 2005 onwards, opening its first branch in nearby Hampstead, though neither remain involved with the business.
In 2021, with Gail’s valued at £200million, Boston-based private investment fund Bain Capital acquired a majority stake in the business that now has 170 outlets across the UK.
Gail’s branches have been targeted by anti-Israel activists, with the Archway outlet targeted for a second time last February by pro-Palestine vandals who smashed windows and painted anti-Zionist graffiti.
The coffee shop’s windows were smashed and messages daubed in red paint including ‘Reject corporate Zionism’ and ‘support local business’.
The word ‘boycott’ was painted above the bakery’s logo and an anarchist symbol was drawn near the door.
The business says it has ‘no links with any country or government outside the UK’ and its chief executive has branded the campaign against it ‘completely unacceptable’.
Pro-Palestine vandals daubed the words ‘Free Gaza’ and threw red paint over a newly opened branch of Gail’s in Archway, north London, as activists accused the chain of ‘funding Israel’
The posters calling for the chain to be boycotted were put up in Archway in February 2026
Pro-Palestine protesters arrived at the newest branch of Gail’s which opened in Junction Road, close to Archway Tube station in February this year
The north London coffee shop’s windows were smashed and anti-Zionist messages including ‘reject corporate Zionism’ were sprayed on the front
The branch’s windows were smashed in what was the second attack in less than a week
Activist group Strapline has shared video footage on Instagram of the Brixton posters being pasted up close to the new opening next to Brixton Tube station.
The accompanying caption states: ‘Maybe it’s their extortionate prices, or their algorithmically-driven predatory growth model, or it could be the fact that Bain Capital, its owners, have significant investments in the State of Isr*el.
‘Or it could just be the fact that I’m bored of bland coffee shops dominating our urban landscape.
‘Either way, late-stage gentrification has hit Brixton, or maybe it already had. It’s easy to lose track.
‘Love bread, bun Gail’s. Instead why not support local businesses.’
Strapline said in a statement to Brixton Buzz: ‘We want to draw attention to the damage being caused by Gail’s bakeries across London through a capital-driven ownership which prioritises aggressive corporate expansion into our local communities.’
They also alleged Gail’s was ‘also maintaining significant ties to the genocidal State of Israel through investments into Israeli cybersecurity and defence firms’.
The approach has provoked criticism, with one online commenter saying, ‘Sounds rather anti-Semitic to me. I’ll be off to Gail’s’ – prompting Strapline to reply: ‘You do that x.’
Other Instagram posters were more supportive, with replies such as ‘Top notch’ and ‘I’ve been avoiding Gail’s since they sold out.’
Another said: ‘Brixton has fallen.’
Gail’s owners have previously hit back at claims that the company ‘funds Israel’ and say calls to boycott the chain are derived from misinformation.
A spokesman told The Guardian in 2024: ‘Gail’s is a UK-based business with no specific connections to any country or government outside of the UK and does not fund Israel.’
Meanwhile, co-founder and chief executive Mr Molnar told the Times previously: ‘Gail’s proudly has Jewish roots and there’s plenty of stuff out there celebrating our heritage and history, but it’s not true it’s Israel-owned.’
‘There’s some just crazy stuff on the web thinking we are funding Israel, which is just completely ridiculous.
‘We’re a wholly UK-based business, paying UK taxes, it’s just ludicrous and I think it needs to be called out.’
Gail’s has been contacted for comment.
A Change.org petition opposed to the new Gail’s in Brixton attracted 1,321 signatures but planning permission was granted last month by Lambeth Council.
The petition’s organisers said online: ‘The proposed development of a Gail’s Bakery branch in Brixton is causing genuine concern among residents and local business owners.
‘Many fear that the introduction of another large chain bakery will not only disrupt the distinctive character of our area but also directly threaten the livelihoods of our cherished local bakers and café owners.
‘Independent businesses in Brixton have thrived on community support, offering personal attention and unique experiences that large chains simply cannot replicate.
‘This petition is not against bakeries or new investment in Brixton. Rather, it is a call to protect the area’s independent spirit and ensure that development supports local entrepreneurs and preserves the distinct identity of the neighbourhood.’
Gail’s says the new Brixton opening will bring 15 to 20 new jobs to the area and bring back into use a space lying empty since autumn last year, with the previous occupant being noodle bar Chopstix.
A spokesman said: ‘We are a British bakery born and bred in London and believe that a healthy high street is a diverse one made up of many different businesses, from many different backgrounds, each playing its part.
‘Our scale is a force for good – using growth to support exceptional farmers and producers, strengthen local food economies and help build a more resilient food system.
‘We know Brixton has a strong sense of community and a brilliant mix of independent businesses, and we appreciate how much that means to local people.’
Other areas where there has been opposition to new Gail’s branches have included nearby Crystal Palace and Walthamstow in north-east London – with critics warning about potential negative effects on local independent bakeries.
The baker chain was originally a wholesaler called The Bread Factory founded by Gail Mejia in 1993, supplying artisanal bread and cakes to restaurants and hotels from a site in Hendon, north London.
Tom Molnar and Ran Avidan, two business leaders working at one of the world’s biggest consultancy firms McKinsey, bought half the company in 2003 and two years later opened a first branch in Hampstead, in the London borough of Camden.
Gail’s is currently owned by Pizza Express entrepreneur Luke Johnson and American investment firm Bain Capital.
Bain was among 500 other venture capital firms that signed a letter in support of Israel following the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, and it has investments in Israel including in AI, cyber-security and software companies.
