Sutton, England - WITCHES in Sutton claim they are being discriminated against after they were refused a stall at an Environmental Fair.
They claim the organisers have banned them on account of their Wicca religion, and that the popular misconception of witchcraft is to blame.
The Children of Artemis, a London-based organisation promoting witchcraft, says ignorance and fear have led to their exclusion from the fair in Carshalton Park.
A spokesman for The Children of Artemis said: "As far we are concerned this is discrimination."
The annual event, organised by the Environmental Fair Collective (EFC), promotes vegetarianism and vegan lifestyles.
It has been held in Carshalton for the past 14 years and attracts thousands of visitors each August.
The EFC says that it has maintained a policy of not inviting faith healers or witchcraft-related stallholders.
A spokesman for the EFC said: "People are allowed to practise whatever religion they like. But we have reserved the right to choose who we want at our fair. "We are not discriminating against them, but we don't feel their stall would be appropriate. We do not want witchcraft."
Croydon-based witch Inbaal, 35, said: "It is shocking and disgusting that religious discrimination is allowed to flourish in the 21st century."
She said that paganism was one of the fastest growing religions in the country and Witchfest, which is held at Croydon's Fairfield each May, attracted tens of thousands of people.
Inbaal said: "The EFC chooses to discriminate against us because they still believe the Christian propaganda of hundreds of years ago."
She said that witches were very dedicated to nature and animals, and thus had a natural affinity with the vegan organisers of the Environmental Fair.
Inbaal added: "They are being wilfully ignorant of the facts about witchcraft."
The spokesman for EFC confirmed that they would not be allowing the Children of Artemis to run a stall.
A spokesman for Sutton Council said that if they received a complaint that racial discrimination had occurred they would investigate it.