A newly opened Gail’s bakery in Brixton has become the focus of an anti-Israel protest, with campaign posters depicting loaves of bread secured to bomb-like explosives.
The premium bakery chain opened its south London branch last Friday, but its arrival has prompted opposition on two fronts: activists’ claims about alleged links to Israel’s war in Gaza and concerns over the gentrification of Brixton.
Large adverts placed near Brixton Market call for a boycott of the business. One image shows a Gail’s loaf strapped to what appears to be an explosive device.
The protest follows similar incidents at other Gail’s locations, including the chain’s Archway branch in north London, which was vandalised by pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism has condemned the Brixton posters, saying they form part of a wider pattern of attacks on Gail’s. The company has denied having links to Israel.
Activists have repeatedly criticised Gail’s over claims that its biggest shareholder, Bain Capital, holds investments in Israeli defence and cyber-security companies. They argue this amounts to complicity in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, although Gail’s rejects the allegation.
The Brixton campaign was organised by Strapline, which is urging members of the public to avoid Gail’s and oppose the bakery’s presence in the neighbourhood.
The posters carry slogans including “A rising threat” and “Avoid Gail’s”, while linking the bakery to what the campaigners describe as “the genocidal state of Israel”.
Posters have appeared in Brixton, south London, calling for a boycott of the newly opened Gail’s bakery.
The Brixton branch opened last Friday, while other Gail’s outlets have also faced action from pro-Palestinian activists. The company says it has no links to any country outside the UK.
The boycott posters were created by campaign group Strapline.
The accompanying message accuses Gail’s of being part of “aggressive corporate expansion” that campaigners say damages established local communities.
Strapline also presents the bakery’s arrival as an example of what it calls the latest phase of “late-stage gentrification” in Brixton.
A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism told the Daily Mail: “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 criticism online, with several social media users saying the campaign had made them more inclined to visit Gail’s rather than boycott it.
One X user described the protest as “pathetic”, writing: “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 questioned the campaign’s impact, asking: “Why on earth would anyone wish a business to fail, employing local folk?”
A further commenter argued that singling out Gail’s over the investment choices of its backers was inconsistent, saying many other nearby chains have investors with interests in Israel as well.
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
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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.