{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/757413.json"},"data":{"type":"petition","id":757413,"attributes":{"action":"Ensure Peaceful Protesting Outside Animal-Testing Facilities Is Not Criminalised","background":"We call on the Government to repeal the recent amendment to the Public Order Act 2023 which, in our view, could effectively ban peaceful protests at animal-testing facilities. ","additional_details":"We believe such protests shouldn’t be a crime when they pose no threat or intimidation, and we consider animal testing is an area of open ethical debate & the ability to protest against it should be protected. Regardless of your stance on animal testing, it should be the right of every citizen to stand up and peacefully express their ethical concerns in an organised fashion, including for animal rights at an animal-testing facility. We believe suppressing peaceful dissent does not protect science or public safety: it erodes our fundamental democratic freedom, and the list of \"banned protests\" will only grow longer. In our view a peaceful protester is not a criminal for trying to protect puppies.","committee_note":"","state":"open","signature_count":62,"created_at":"2026-01-16T17:57:32.396Z","updated_at":"2026-05-03T19:06:20.000Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2026-02-19T10:46:41.420Z","closed_at":null,"moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2026-01-19T12:35:50.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"creator_name":"Rose Olding","rejection":null,"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[{"acronym":"DEFRA","name":"Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs"}],"topics":[],"signatures_by_country":[{"name":"United Kingdom","code":"GB","signature_count":62}],"signatures_by_constituency":[{"name":"Ashford","ons_code":"E14001069","mp":"Sojan Joseph MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Barnsley North","ons_code":"E14001074","mp":"Dan Jarvis MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Beckenham and Penge","ons_code":"E14001083","mp":"Liam Conlon MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Birmingham Selly Oak","ons_code":"E14001099","mp":"Al Carns MP","signature_count":4},{"name":"Bournemouth East","ons_code":"E14001115","mp":"Tom Hayes MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"Brent West","ons_code":"E14001123","mp":"Barry Gardiner MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Carlisle","ons_code":"E14001152","mp":"Ms Julie Minns MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Carshalton and Wallington","ons_code":"E14001153","mp":"Bobby Dean MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Coventry North West","ons_code":"E14001181","mp":"Taiwo Owatemi MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Croydon South","ons_code":"E14001187","mp":"Rt Hon Chris Philp MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Derby South","ons_code":"E14001194","mp":"Baggy Shanker MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Derbyshire Dales","ons_code":"E14001195","mp":"John Whitby MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"Dorking and Horley","ons_code":"E14001201","mp":"Chris Coghlan MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Earley and Woodley","ons_code":"E14001210","mp":"Yuan Yang MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"East Wiltshire","ons_code":"E14001217","mp":"Danny Kruger MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"East Worthing and Shoreham","ons_code":"E14001218","mp":"Tom Rutland MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Eastleigh","ons_code":"E14001220","mp":"Liz Jarvis MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Harlow","ons_code":"E14001267","mp":"Chris Vince MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Hove and Portslade","ons_code":"E14001296","mp":"Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Huddersfield","ons_code":"E14001297","mp":"Harpreet Uppal MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Ipswich","ons_code":"E14001302","mp":"Jack Abbott MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Kenilworth and Southam","ons_code":"E14001309","mp":"Rt Hon Sir Jeremy Wright KC MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Kingswinford and South Staffordshire","ons_code":"E14001316","mp":"Mike Wood MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Leeds Central and Headingley","ons_code":"E14001319","mp":"Alex Sobel MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Liverpool Wavertree","ons_code":"E14001340","mp":"Paula Barker MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Maidstone and Malling","ons_code":"E14001349","mp":"Helen Grant MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Mid Buckinghamshire","ons_code":"E14001360","mp":"Greg Smith MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Newcastle upon Tyne North","ons_code":"E14001379","mp":"Catherine McKinnell MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Newton Abbot","ons_code":"E14001381","mp":"Martin Wrigley MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"North Devon","ons_code":"E14001387","mp":"Ian Roome MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"North Northumberland","ons_code":"E14001397","mp":"David Smith MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"North West Norfolk","ons_code":"E14001405","mp":"James Wild MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Rawmarsh and Conisbrough","ons_code":"E14001436","mp":"Rt Hon John Healey MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Reading West and Mid Berkshire","ons_code":"E14001439","mp":"Olivia Bailey MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Reigate","ons_code":"E14001442","mp":"Rebecca Paul MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Ribble Valley","ons_code":"E14001443","mp":"Maya Ellis MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Richmond and Northallerton","ons_code":"E14001444","mp":"Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Sheffield Heeley","ons_code":"E14001469","mp":"Rt Hon Louise Haigh MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"South East Cornwall","ons_code":"E14001486","mp":"Anna Gelderd MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"South West Wiltshire","ons_code":"E14001498","mp":"Rt Hon Dr Andrew Murrison MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"St Ives","ons_code":"E14001511","mp":"Andrew George MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Stretford and Urmston","ons_code":"E14001528","mp":"Andrew Western MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Tatton","ons_code":"E14001539","mp":"Rt Hon Esther McVey MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Taunton and Wellington","ons_code":"E14001540","mp":"Gideon Amos MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Tunbridge Wells","ons_code":"E14001555","mp":"Mike Martin MP","signature_count":2},{"name":"Tynemouth","ons_code":"E14001557","mp":"Rt Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Warrington North","ons_code":"E14001564","mp":"Charlotte Nichols MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Whitehaven and Workington","ons_code":"E14001583","mp":"Josh MacAlister MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Widnes and Halewood","ons_code":"E14001584","mp":"Derek Twigg MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Winchester","ons_code":"E14001587","mp":"Dr Danny Chambers MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Yeovil","ons_code":"E14001603","mp":"Adam Dance MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Dundee Central","ons_code":"S14000075","mp":"Chris Law MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Edinburgh East and Musselburgh","ons_code":"S14000078","mp":"Chris Murray MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Paisley and Renfrewshire North","ons_code":"S14000101","mp":"Alison Taylor MP","signature_count":1},{"name":"Ceredigion Preseli","ons_code":"W07000093","mp":"Ben Lake MP","signature_count":1}],"signatures_by_region":[{"name":"North East","ons_code":"A","signature_count":3},{"name":"North West","ons_code":"B","signature_count":8},{"name":"Yorkshire and The Humber","ons_code":"D","signature_count":6},{"name":"East Midlands","ons_code":"E","signature_count":3},{"name":"West Midlands","ons_code":"F","signature_count":7},{"name":"East of England","ons_code":"G","signature_count":3},{"name":"London","ons_code":"H","signature_count":4},{"name":"South East","ons_code":"J","signature_count":14},{"name":"South West","ons_code":"K","signature_count":10},{"name":"Wales","ons_code":"L","signature_count":1},{"name":"Scotland","ons_code":"M","signature_count":3}],"other_parliamentary_business":[{"subject":"Government responds to petition on Public Order Act 2023","body":"The Government has responded to a public (paper) petition calling for a bill to repeal the Public Order Act 2023. The petition was presented to the House of Commons by Pippa Heylings MP on behalf of residents of South Cambridgeshire.\nRead the petition and the Government's response (https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-03-02/debates/26030216000054/PublicOrderAct2023)\nThe petition asks the House of Commons to urge the Government to introduce a bill to repeal the Public Order Act 2023.\nIn response to the petition's request, the Government states the importance of the right to a peaceful protest but stresses the need to balance this with protecting communities from intimidation and serious disruption. Although views differ on the Public Order Act 2023, the Government aims to ensure that public order laws remain proportionate. Expedited post‑legislative scrutiny of the Act began in May 2025.\nIn October 2025, the Home Secretary launched an independent review of public order and hate crime laws, led by Lord Macdonald of River Glaven KC. The review will assess whether current powers are effective, consistently applied, and appropriately balance public protection with the right to lawful protest. It will report by spring 2026.\nThe Government continues to monitor public order and hate crime legislation and currently has no plans to repeal the Public Order Act 2023.\nWhat are public (paper) petitions?\nA public (paper) petition is a petition to the House of Commons presented by an MP.\nFind out more about public (paper) petitions (https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/sign-a-petition/paper-petitions/) \nGet involved in the work of the UK Parliament\nYou can also sign up (https://parliament.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=098af33234df9814f59fb205f&id=6e29cb1262) to the UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference. \n","created_at":"2026-03-11T12:57:59.538Z","updated_at":"2026-03-11T12:57:59.538Z"}]}}}