A newly opened Gail’s Bakery in London’s Archway neighborhood was vandalized for the second time in less than a week, as pro-Palestinian protesters accused the company of supporting Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

London’s Metropolitan Police said officers were called to the Junction Road branch early Wednesday after reports that several windows had been smashed and paint sprayed across the storefront. Police later visited the scene and spoke with staff. No arrests have been made.

Detectives are examining whether the latest incident is connected to an earlier act of criminal damage on Feb. 18, when red paint and political slogans were scrawled across the bakery on the eve of its opening. Authorities said they are conducting extensive inquiries, including reviewing CCTV footage from the area.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said it had increased uniformed patrols in the neighborhood and would take an “assertive and determined approach” to antisemitism and other hate crimes.

The Archway branch is one of roughly 170 Gail’s locations across the United Kingdom. Its opening drew protests from activists who carried signs urging a boycott and accusing Israel of committing “genocide and war crimes in Gaza.”

Gail’s was founded in the 1990s as a wholesale bakery by a team of Israeli bakers, including Gail Mejia and Ran Avidan, and opened its first retail location in 2005. In 2021, the company was acquired by the American investment firm Bain Capital, which has investments in Israeli technology companies.

There is no public evidence that Gail’s Bakery funds the Israeli military. The company has not publicly commented on the vandalism.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)