Gail's Bakery Targeted by Vandals in Archway Over Misinformation
Pro-Palestine activists have vandalised a newly opened branch of Gail's bakery in Archway, London, daubing the words 'Free Gaza' and throwing red paint over the premises. The vandals accused the popular bakery chain of 'funding Israel', claims that have been strongly denied by the company and described as false by opponents of the protest.
Swift Protest Follows Bakery Opening
The newest Gail's branch opened on Junction Road, near Archway Tube station, on Thursday. Within hours, red paint was splattered across the newly installed signage, while slogans including 'Boycott Gails, funds Israeli tech' were written on the external walls. A small crowd of protesters arrived as the shop doors opened, holding signs calling for support of local businesses over the bakery retailer, which operates in more than 170 locations across the UK.
Some protesters held signs suggesting Gail's was 'funded by investors in apartheid', with one stating: 'Boycott Israel for genocide and war crimes in Gaza.' This follows previous accusations against the chain of being Israel-owned or backing Israel's 'war machine', allegations that company owners have consistently disputed.
Company History and Ownership Clarified
Gail's was founded as a wholesaler in the 1990s by Israeli baker Gail Mejia and was rapidly expanded by Israeli entrepreneur Ran Avidan from 2005. However, both are no longer linked to the business. Today, the chain is owned by Pizza Express entrepreneur Luke Johnson and American investment firm Bain Capital.
Bain Capital was among 500 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, cybersecurity and software companies. Despite this, Gail's owners maintain the company has no specific connections to any country or government outside the UK.
Company Denies All Connections to Israel
A spokesperson for Gail's 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.' Co-founder and chief executive Tom Molnar told The Times: '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.'
Molnar added: '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.'
Protesters Cite Multiple Grievances
Despite these clarifications, demonstrators gathered outside the new branch to protest against 'gentrification', the company's 'dodgy record on workers' rights' and its alleged funding of 'Israeli war tech'. Footage from the protest shows a bystander, who identified herself as Jewish, challenging a female demonstrator.
The bystander asked: 'It is a UK-based business, why are you protesting a UK-based business saying 'Boycott Israel.' Is it because they've got Jewish directors?' The protester responded: 'The profits are going to private equity owners and investors who have invested £140m in companies linked to [Israeli] war tech.'
Explaining she was also there to support local businesses, the protester said: 'There are so many locally-owned cafes here, everywhere Gail's has opened in London the locally-owned cafes have suffered. We don't need another cafe.'
Accusations of Intimidation and Hate
When the protester explained the cafe had opened without 'any public consultation', the bystander retorted: 'But that's down to council procedure, not intimidating and harassing Jewish customers.' The protester then said she was 'half-Jewish', but the bystander told her she felt 'intimidated' by the protest.
Advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism reviewed the footage and accused the protesters of 'spreading hate'. A spokesperson told Daily Mail: 'In case anyone required further proof that this is not a peaceful movement, here it is. This is yet more blatant thuggery from pro-Palestine extremists trying to pass off intimidation and vandalism, driven by a blind hatred for the world's only Jewish state, as progressive activism.'
The spokesperson continued: 'Smashing up a branch of Gail's does nothing to advance peace in the Middle East; it simply spreads hate on British streets. The Metropolitan Police must ensure that those responsible face the full consequences of their actions.'
Police Investigation Underway
A spokesperson for Gail's said: 'Last night, we unfortunately experienced vandalism at our new Archway bakery. Our bakeries are places for the community, and no one - whether that’s our bakery teams or our customers - should feel targeted or unsafe. We are a British business with no specific connections to any country or government outside the UK. Our focus right now is on working with the authorities and making sure our people feel safe and supported.'
Metropolitan Police confirmed officers were called to reports of criminal damage at the cafe on Wednesday night around 11.39pm. A spokesperson said: 'Officers arrived on the scene within six minutes and found that the outside of the building had been vandalised with paint. The suspects fled the scene before police arrived.'
Police conducted a full search of the area and worked with the council to review immediately available CCTV. They are continuing to review other footage to identify any lines of enquiry that might help to identify the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 7771/18FEB or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
