Thousands of UK eventprofs gathered outside Parliament on 29 September in a silent protest against the lack of support provided by the government to the event industry.
Those who work in the live music, exhibition and conference industries within the UK gathered at Parliament Square and College Green at 12:30pm. They stood in ordered rows to demonstrate that the events industry can safely bring groups of people together, and wore red to call back to the ‘Red Alert’ protest which took place in August. The protest was the second under the #WeMakeEvents banner.
At 12:50pm, the protesters turned their backs to Parliament, to symbolise "how the UK government has turned its back on the struggling events industry during the pandemic".
Many carried signs with messages highlighting the plight of unemployed event professionals, or those who have not been eligible for financial support from the government.
Protesters called for further targeted support for the events industry, after the UK furlough scheme comes to an end on 1 October. Many who work in events businesses are not eligible for any financial support under the chancellor’s new Winter Support Scheme, which aims to support workers who are able to work a third of their normal hours.
With large scale events singled out by the Prime Minister as not being able to go ahead for possibly another six months, many businesses face major layoffs or insolvency without further aid.
