Second hospitality protest to take place next month

HospoDemo will return to London’s Westminster for a second protest next month.

The first demonstration (pictured) took place outside Parliament in October, when around 600 hospitality workers, including Tom Aikens and Yotam Ottolenghi, gathered to express their outrage over the government’s treatment of the industry.

The group has announced that the second protest will take place on Parliament Square on Monday 7 December at 11am, and attendees are encouraged to “bring the tools of your trade to make as much noise as possible, so those making the decisions that are killing our industry hear us loud and clear”.

It said the tier restrictions announced earlier this week will be the “final straw” for many businesses which were looking to the Christmas period for much-needed trade, and is calling for either fewer restrictions on the sector or more financial support.

Posting on Instagram the group said: “The latest evidence shows just 2% of Covid transmissions can be traced back to hospitality settings, yet the UK government thinks it’s safer to go to a gym, stand in a busy supermarket queue, go Christmas shopping or watch a game of football with 4,000 fans.

“Just as we were gearing up to re-open our businesses, the new tier restrictions ‪from 2 December make hospitality the scapegoat once again.

"The loss of vital Christmas trade will be the final straw for many restaurants, bars, pubs and hotels hoping to survive into 2021. Add on ever-increasing rent debt, among other costs, and the future is frightening for tens of thousands of businesses and their employees.

"While the furlough scheme is enabling hospitality workers to make ends meet, their jobs simply won’t exist once their employers’ businesses fold in the coming months.

“The government can’t have it both ways: hospitality needs either fewer restrictions or more government support before the unthinkable happens.”

Marketing professional Rachel Harty founded HospoDemo and organised the last protest