A London-based vegan charity festival, organized specifically to raise funds for rescued animals, has been scrapped just weeks before its scheduled start following a formal complaint from a controversial pro-Israel lobbying group, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI). Organizers have confirmed the event will not proceed in 2025 and will be rescheduled to 2027 at a new, undisclosed location.
The Great Vegan Gathering was planned as a four-day long weekend event running from August 27 to 31 at Gilwell Park Scout Activity Centre, a popular outdoor venue owned by the UK Scout Association. Billed as a community-focused celebration of plant-based living featuring more than 50 musical performers, food vendors, educational talks, and practical workshops, the event was structured as a non-profit initiative with 100 percent of ticket sales and proceeds earmarked for donation to animal sanctuaries across the UK.
In a statement released after the cancellation, festival organizers called the outcome deeply disappointing, noting that the venue withdrew its booking agreement solely after receiving correspondence from UKLFI, which organizers labeled an anti-Palestinian group with a well-documented history of targeting cultural events and grassroots organizations that express support for Palestinian rights. “We are devastated to announce that the Great Vegan Gathering will not be going ahead this year,” the spokesperson added.
In its complaint to the Scout Association, UKLFI alleged that three performing acts booked for the festival held public records of promoting content it claimed was antisemitic, supportive of violence against Israelis and Jews, and capable of inciting racial hatred under the UK’s 1986 Public Order Act. The organization specifically named three bands: HAWXX, Active Slaughter, and Millie Manders and the Shutup, claiming that other acts on the lineup had also publicly aligned with anti-Israel campaigning, creating an unacceptable risk that the entire festival would become a platform for anti-Jewish hostility.
All three named bands have forcefully rejected UKLFI’s allegations, pushing back against the claims in interviews with Middle East Eye (MEE), the outlet that first broke the story. JJ Maguire, lead singer of Active Slaughter, shared that his Jewish grandfather escaped Nazi persecution in Germany, though many of his grandfather’s family members were murdered in the Holocaust. Maguire explained that his family history inspired him to found a punk band rooted in rejecting far-right extremism in all its forms. He said he was appalled by UKLFI’s attack on pro-Palestine free speech, adding that it was morally indefensible to target a charity event dedicated to raising funds for animal rescue. One of the band’s most well-known tracks is titled “It’s Not Anti-Semitic To Hate Fascists”.
Millie Manders, frontwoman of Millie Manders and the Shutup, who publicly described Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide in a 2023 Facebook post, emphasized that her band’s support for Palestinian justice is rooted in a broader commitment to human rights and animal welfare that spans all communities. “My band and I are proud to support justice for all animals and humans. This includes opposing Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, a position shared by millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and atheists – people from every background,” Manders said. She added that the band has a long history of fundraising for humanitarian causes including Doctors Without Borders and trans advocacy organizations, and regularly hosts representatives from animal rights and mental health charities at their performances.
HAWXX, the third named band, released a joint statement reaffirming its commitment to Palestinian solidarity, rejecting attempts to frame support for oppressed Palestinians as illegitimate. “To equate solidarity with the Palestinian people with anything but the pursuit of justice stokes conflict and disrupts efforts for peace,” the band said. “It puts the Jewish community at more risk and silences Palestinian voices. This is deeply disturbing. Free, free Palestine.”
When contacted by MEE to elaborate on its allegations, UKLFI stood by its claims, pointing to HAWXX’s track “Resistance Is Justified”, arguing that the song’s title endorses violent resistance rather than peaceful political action in the context of the Israel-Gaza conflict. A review of the full lyrics by MEE found no explicit endorsement of violent acts. The organization also criticized Active Slaughter’s aforementioned track for accusing Israeli forces of killing for fun and planting weapons on injured Palestinian teenagers, and took issue with Millie Manders’ repeated public descriptions of Israel as genocidal, colonialist, and fascist.
In a response to MEE’s questions, the Scout Association did not directly confirm whether UKLFI’s complaint prompted the cancellation, but issued a general statement confirming that the booking had been cancelled after a routine post-confirmation review. “Following the initial confirmation of the booking, we conducted a review into some actions taken by the event organisers. The review concluded that these actions were not consistent with Scout values or our venue hire policies,” the association said, adding that it is committed to maintaining inclusive, respectful environments at all its venues that align with its core organizational values.
Founded in 2011, UKLFI has a long track record of leading campaigns to pressure and discredit UK-based individuals and organizations that criticize Israeli government policy or express solidarity with Palestinians. The organization is listed 128 times in the Britain Index of Repression, a database maintained by the European Legal Support Centre that documents systemic repression of Palestine solidarity activism across the United Kingdom. According to the centre’s analysis, UKLFI has played a key role in creating a “chilling environment” for Palestinian advocacy, where legal and public pressure prompts organizations to cancel or modify lawful pro-Palestine activity out of fear of legal consequences. The group most commonly operates by sending formal complaint letters, issuing legal threats, and applying public pressure to public institutions including schools, universities, and event venues, prompting them to cancel events or open disciplinary proceedings against organizers and participants.
Middle East Eye, the outlet that first reported on this cancellation, provides independent, in-depth coverage of the Middle East, North Africa, and related global issues.