FROM PROTECT THE WILD. THE COMMONS VOTED THREE TO ONE — BUT WILL THE HOUSE OF LORDS AGREE

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more MPs approve expansion of anti-protest powers covering animal testing sites PROTECT THE WILD JAN 14 READ IN APP I’m standing outside Parliament today because something serious just happened inside it. The House of Commons has voted 301 FOR 110 AGAINST in favour of a controversial amendment to the Public Order Act that reclassifies life sciences infrastructure, including animal testing facilities, as “key national infrastructure”. That change matters more than it sounds. By redefining private laboratories as critical national assets alongside airports, power stations, and transport networks, the government has expanded its power to restrict protest. Peaceful demonstrations near any site linked to animal testing could now carry conditions, bans, or even prison sentences of up to a year. This is not about safety. It is about control. Why this is such a dangerous expansion Animal testing does not take place in isolated buildings. Licences are held by universities, hospitals, and major research campuses, all surrounded by everyday public space. By stretching the definition of key national infrastructure this far, the government risks bringing huge areas of public space under protest restrictions, even when protests have nothing to do with laboratory work itself. Campaigners have warned for years that expanding public order powers in this way would criminalise lawful, peaceful protest. Today’s vote proves those warnings were justified. Standing With a Sign Shouldn't Mean Prison: Why We Took Action Yesterday - Protect the Wild This vote is not the end This amendment has not yet become law. It now goes to the House of Lords, which acts as Parliament’s final check. Peers can approve it, or they can oppose it and send it back to the Commons. This matters. The Lords have a strong history of pushing back when governments overreach on civil liberties and protest rights. If they intervene, this can still be stopped or forced back into debate. We have launched a tool that allows you to contact peers directly and urge them to oppose this amendment before it becomes law. Contact the Lords Peers are expected to act independently and to defend fundamental rights when the Commons fails to do so. Many take that responsibility seriously, but only if they hear from the public. If you believe peaceful protest should not carry the risk of prison, now is the moment to act. 👉 Use our tool to contact the House of Lords and demand they oppose this amendment. Silence is exactly what this legislation is designed to produce. Let’s make sure it does not work. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing