Edinburgh pub and restaurant workers to make protest outside Holyrood on Friday

Edinburgh pub and restaurant workers are planning an ice cold response to the new imposed restrictions on Friday.

A protest outside of the Scottish Parliament is due to take place just after the pubs and restaurants close their doors at 6pm for two weeks.

Staff and owners will head to the parliament with the remaining ice from their ice machines and dump it in front of the building.

Edinburgh hospitality to make an frosty protest against the new restrictions

The call for action on social media said: “It would be a legal, safely distanced statement.

“It would require a little discipline to not hang around and it to actually become a gathering, but I have been full of admiration for how the trade has managed all these restrictions and operated your venues with such professionalism (a very justified element to your frustration).”

The First Minister announced on Wednesday that pubs and restaurants will have to close for two weeks in Scotland’s central belt in an attempt to control the rising cases of coronavirus.

Outside the central belt, hospitality businesses may remain open, but have had their hours limited and cannot sell alcohol to anybody sitting indoors.

Grant McNeil, Edinburgh owner of the Auld Hoose and the Green Mantle told the Edinburgh Evening News: “I think reason is that it feels good to do something.

"It is also important to raise the plight of the industry.

"We need to shout as loud as we can.

"Lots of premises will close and thousands of jobs will be lost regardless.

"But if we can help save some jobs then it's a good thing.

"It's all about pressurising government into giving the support we need.”

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