Anti-Lockdown Protests Cause Partial Closure Of Hastings Park Café

A cafe owner in a park in Hastings says anti-lockdown protests on Sunday mornings have forced the business to close for several hours until the illegal gatherings are over.

The team behind "Eat At The Park" accuse members of the gathering of "mocking the sacrifices we have all made over the past year and risking the progress made."

The response came after campaigners opposing Covid safety rules reportedly assembled for at least a second time in Alexandra Park.

The group is included among those named by an international collection of protestors called "Stand In The Park", who have listed the unlawful assembly among those they support.

But current lockdown laws prevent meeting more than one other adult (except for those in support bubbles) outside one's home, as the R-number in England's south-east, measuring Coronavirus transmission, remains between 0.7 to 0.9.

This means that for every ten people who have the virus, whether with or without symptoms, between 7 and 9 other people will be infected.

In a social media post on Sunday, the managers of a café in the park that normally opens at 9am said they wanted "no part" in illegal protests that could risk the spread of the disease.

Part of the protests have generally included performance of a synchronised dance routine in which, in a previous week, members of the public were seen to take part while holding hands.

"Eat At The Park" stated:

"Following saddening scenes in Alexandra Park this morning, eat@thePark cafe will now be opening later on Sundays for the foreseeable future.

"It seems that there is a vocal & rather agitated minority of people who consider the right to dance the 'Hokey Cokey' to be a priority over working together to reach the end of the current Coronavirus restrictions, and we wish to be very clear that we will have no part of this.

"In addition, we feel we are unable to guarantee the wellbeing of our law-abiding staff and customers whilst those intent on promoting their rather incoherent range of messages continue to meet so near our premises.

"In these times where we all seem to have to take a stance on every issue, we would like our closure to be our comment on this particular group or groups, & not on other recent protests.

"We consider these 'hokey cokey' gatherings to be unlike others in a number of regards — they are designed solely to breach regulations regarding social distancing and safety, the organisers do not request to work with the police or authorities (in fact, the very opposite), and the protests are organised in secret rather than on public forums, meaning that it is difficult to know what might happen.

"We share the concerns of many regarding recent legislation regarding the right to protest but feel very strongly that these particular events do nothing but provide a justification for those wishing to strengthen anti-protest laws.  

"As they appear to be for the purpose of protesting and actively defying coronavirus restrictions, we consider them to be mocking the sacrifices we have all made over the past year and risking the progress made."