Every pub along the central street of Whitehall will close their doors this Saturday, as a planned nationalist march sparks safety concerns for staff.
The Unite the Kingdom march, organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, is set to take place on 16 May and attract hundreds of thousands of supporters.
During last year’s march the Whitehall pubs were kept open until violence in the street threatened staff safety and caused property damage.
Jess, 20, from The Horse and Guardsman, recalled glasses being thrown at police horses, while a manager at The Red Lion said they only stayed open for an hour before chairs were destroyed and police asked them to close.
Kosha, a manager at The Clarence, said: “They are violent – every year they are violent.”
The Metropolitan Police reported at least 25 people were arrested and 26 officers were injured during Robinson’s march in 2025.
This year, staff from each pub said they were opting to batten down the hatches and wait for the march to pass.
Phone shops are taking a different approach, with all five situated along the march’s route between Kingsway and Whitehall choosing to stay open this weekend.
Sammy, who runs a phone shop on Kingsway where the protest is set to start, said: “If they want to protest, that is their right, but running my shop is my right, and I will keep it that way.”
The pro-Palestinian Nakba Day march is also taking place this Saturday, and over 4,000 police officers will be deployed across central London in what the Met expect to be one of the busiest days for policing in London in recent years.
The pubs confirmed to be closed are The Silver Cross, The Clarence, The Old Shades, The Horse and Guardsman, The Red Lion and the Walkers of Whitehall, a famous favourite of MPs and civil servants.
Feature image: Xav Straw
Join the discussion