The Cereal Killer cafe in Shoreditch, London, was attacked by anti-gentrification protestors last night who scrawled the words 'SCUM' on the front window.
Ran by Northern Irish brothers Alan and Gary Keery, the annual F*ck Parade targeted the cafe because, as the official Twitter account for the parade stated, "£5 for cereal when people are starving. Fuck gentrification."
Cereal cafe. £5 for cereal when people are starving. Fuck gentrification. pic.twitter.com/3mVmHFnOAT
— Fuck Parade (@FuckParadeLDN) September 26, 2015
The cafe's owners were interviewed by Channel 4 several months ago and the same issue was brought up regarding the high prices of their food and how it would affect locals in the area. The protestors believe that the Cereal Killer cafe is a symbol of gentrification; by bringing in trendy venues and restaurants, they're effectively forcing the local people out who can't afford to live there.
Alan Keery, who was interviewed after the protestor said that he and his were "being targeted as the poster boys of gentrification and that’s not our fault."
"I can’t agree with what they’re doing, the way they are dealing with gentrification. It feels like it’s been taken back to the dark ages - an angry mob with fire - it’s a bit of a witch-hunt. There’s paint thrown at the front and they tried to break the windows."
“They were trying to bash the door down - the customers had to barricade the door.”
However, the brothers opened the shop as normal today and took to Twitter to fire back at the protestors.
Open as normal today guys, come down to see our new shopfront #makeover
— Cereal Killer Cafe (@CerealKillerUK) September 27, 2015
Unhappy with the state of the country? Why not attack a small business #smart pic.twitter.com/gt3oL8Z4Vm
— Cereal Killer Cafe (@CerealKillerUK) September 27, 2015
Via Twitter