Anti-gentrification vandal daubs graffiti on newly opened Hackney pizzeria

Well Street Pizza in Hackney had only been open a week before 'Hipsters Out' was scrawled on the restaurant wall

Vandals: The anti-gentrification message was daubed on a wall at the pizzeria

gdpreston (Twitter)

2 December 2015

A Hackney pizzeria has been defaced with anti-gentrification graffiti just a week after opening for trade.

A vandal daubed “HIPSTERS OUT” in large black letters on a wall at Well Street some time on Friday evening.

The vandalism was reported by staff the next morning and has since been scrubbed off by Hackney Council.

General manager Jason Haigh said he was not shocked the restaurant was targeted because of anti-gentrification sentiment in the area.

In September, riot police were called to the Cereal Killer Café in Brick Lane to break up angry protests by a mob of about 200 people.

Mr Haigh said: “We are not some cool cocktail bar or the type of business that ticks the boxes of what these people fight against.

“I don’t know why they would want to target us because I believe we are very affordable.

“We are just an independent business offering people the chance to dine in Well Street.

"Before us it was just takeaways on this street.

“It was going to happen in this area, you’re not going to be liked by everybody and everyone has an opinion.”

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