Hospo Demo to hold second protest on 7 December

Hospo Demo will return for a second peaceful protest outside Westminster on 7 December, it has announced.

It follows the first demonstration which took place in October and saw over 600 members of the hospitality sector protest over the government’s treatment of the sector.

Calling for attendees to “bring the tools of your trade to make as much noise as possible” the protest will begin in Parliament Square at 10:45am.

Announcing the second protest, Hospo Demo 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 December 2nd 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.”

It added:“Add on ever-increasing rent debt, amongst 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.”