Trans activists staged a protest at the opening of London’s new Harry Potter store on Wednesday, November 4. The group held signs reading, “Trans kids deserve to grow up! Trans adults deserve to grow old”, “Protect trans lives” and “Stop funding trans erasure”.

This comes in response to Harry Potter author JK Rowling and her anti-trans crusade in recent years. Since 2020, she has publicly opposed trans rights and provided legal funding for groups campaigning for “sex-based rights”.

In 2025, she donated £70,000 to For Women Scotland, who went on to win a case in the UK Supreme Court, leading to the definition of ‘woman’ in the Equality Act 2010 being confined to biological sex. This ruling has vastly impacted trans people’s access to public spaces, including hospitals, toilets, gyms and more.

Rowling’s worth is thought to be almost entirely generated from the Harry Potter franchise and its vast intellectual property. Activists outside the new London store referenced the author in some of their chants, stating she has “blood on her hands”.

One attendee told Variety, “Considering the impact that JK Rowling has on trans rights, it would be a disappointment if trans people weren’t here to have their voices heard. It is largely JK Rowling making the biggest impact on people’s lives, I think, unfortunately. People don’t realise that, so that’s why we’re here today.”

Another protestor told Deadline that they were previously a Harry Potter fan, as were many other trans people and allies. “But the fact is that the franchise is not worth the loss of human dignity,” they added.

The new location is the UK’s largest Harry Potter store, consisting of multiple floors and more than 20,000 square feet. It occupies a prime spot on Oxford Street, where Harry Potter-themed Christmas lights are due to be switched on this month.

Speaking about the protest, a spokesperson for the shop told Variety, “We support everyone’s right to the peaceful expression of personal viewpoint and look forward to a day full of magic.”

This is not the only protest that has taken place at a Harry Potter event recently. In October, trans activists rushed the red carpet ahead of the gala performance of the new Harry Potter And The Cursed Child play at the Palace Theatre. One of the people involved wore a t-shirt reading “Rowling money kills”.

A new Harry Potter TV series is also set to release on Christmas Day this year, which has faced calls for a boycott from trans activists and allies.