Protesters target the Cereal Killer Cafe in Shoreditch

Alan Keery, who runs the Cereal Killers café with his twin Gary, told the Evening Standard newspaper that customers had used chairs to barricade the door.

One worker at the eatery – which calls itself the “UK’s first speciality cereal cafe” – is heard phoning police. “The staff were absolutely terrified”.

“There were people shouting about gentrification and taking back east London”. 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.

As well as the Cereal Cafe, the window of a branch of Marsh & Parsons estate agents was also cracked during the “anti-gentrification” protests. “They had torches and pigs’ heads”.

A Twitter handle for the “F*** Parade” claimed the demo was 1,000-strong. “A Twitter account for “f*** Parade” documented the entire protest, writing: “£5 for cereal when people are starving. F*** gentrification, F*** cutesy boutiques and coffee shops.

It said: “Our communities are being ripped apart – by Russian oligarchs, Saudi Sheiks, Israeli scumbag property developers, Texan oil-money t***s and our own home-grown Eton toffs”.

“London is our home and worth defending against this onslaught of dog-eat-dog economics. There’s other big chain places around Shoreditch – me and my brother started a business out of absolutely nothing and we’re trying to grow it. We’re being targeted as the poster boys of gentrification and that’s not our fault”.

The Guardian reported that Scotland Yard had said it arrested one person in relation to the incident.

Police say “missiles” were thrown and a “criminal element” in the group cause damage to shops and businesses around Brick Lane. The group continued to move around the Shoreditch and Brick Lane area until around 00:30hrs on Sunday, 27 September.

One man was arrested for criminal damage and an officer was injured by a thrown bottle.