Anti-Israel activists have put up boycott posters depicting Gail’s bread strapped to explosives near the bakery chain’s new outlet in Brixton, south London.
The campaign, led by activist group Strapline, accuses the company of links to Israel’s military actions in Gaza and of contributing to the gentrification of Brixton. The branch opened last Friday close to Brixton Market and Brixton Tube station.
The posters carry slogans including “A rising threat” and “Avoid Gail’s”, while describing Israel as “the genocidal state of Israel”. They also accuse the bakery of being part of “aggressive corporate expansion which harms local communities”.
Strapline said the campaign was intended to highlight what it called the damage caused by Gail’s expansion into local communities. It urged people to support independent businesses instead of the chain.
The group said: “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.”
It also alleged that Gail’s maintained “significant ties to the genocidal State of Israel through investments into Israeli cybersecurity and defence firms”.
The campaign has drawn accusations of antisemitism. The Campaign Against Antisemitism said targeting the bakery over perceived associations amounted to “collective punishment dressed up as virtue” and urged police to monitor the situation.
A spokesman for the organisation said: “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.”
Gail’s denies links to Israel
Gail’s has repeatedly denied having links to Israel or funding the country. The company says it is a UK-based business with no connections to any country or government outside the UK.
Its chief executive has described the campaign against the chain as “completely unacceptable”, while co-founder Tom Molnar has said claims that the business funds Israel are “completely ridiculous”.
Gail’s was founded as a wholesaler in 1993 by British-Israeli baker Gail Mejia. It is now owned by Pizza Express entrepreneur Luke Johnson and US investment firm Bain Capital, which acquired a majority stake in 2021 when the business was valued at £200 million.
Activists have focused on Bain Capital’s investments in Israeli artificial intelligence, cyber-security and software companies. Bain was also among firms to sign a letter supporting Israel following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.
Other Gail’s branches have previously been targeted. The chain’s Archway outlet in north London was vandalised, with windows smashed and red-painted messages including “Reject corporate Zionism”, “Free Gaza” and “boycott” daubed across the premises.
The Brixton protest also reflects opposition to the chain’s arrival from residents and local business owners. An online petition against the branch attracted 1,321 signatures, with organisers warning that a large chain could threaten independent bakeries and cafes and alter the area’s character.
Planning permission was granted by Lambeth Council last month. Gail’s said the new outlet would create between 15 and 20 jobs and bring back into use a premises that had been empty since the previous autumn.
