Please sign this petition to protect the right to protest: change.org/protect-protest-now
Thank you for standing with the beagles. As you know I was recently found guilty for rescuing beagle puppies but this isn't the end of anything. Myself and my friends and colleagues at Animal Rising are emboldened by the support and love youve shown through our wins and losses during these groundbreaking trials so we have no choice but to keep going. Thank you for standing with the beagles.
When you signed the petition to shut down MBR Acres, you joined thousands of people calling for an end to a system that breeds puppies for laboratories. Your voice helped shine a spotlight on a place that for years operated largely out of public view.
Right now, the final trial connected to the beagle rescue is reaching its conclusion. This is the last of the cases against the people who entered MBR Acres and carried 23 puppies to safety. We expect the verdict this week. Whatever the outcome, the moment is a reminder of something important: progress for animals has always depended on people who are willing to speak up, organise, and take action when something is wrong.
And that’s exactly why we’re writing to you today.
This week, the Crime & Policing Bill will receive its third - and final - reading in the House of Lords. Amongst the proposed legislation are police powers to outlaw protests based on vague and subjective “cumulative disruption” criteria and judgment, expanded police powers to restrict and change protest conditions with little to no explanation, and so-called, protest orders that would prevent people from attending protests to use their free speech rights, potentially including ankle-tagging.
One of the most concerning things is the creation of the “Extreme Criminal Protest Group” label. This means the Home Secretary would receive executive power to ban groups, freeze bank accounts, and make it illegal to campaign under their name. Protests targeting animal testing meet the criteria to be designated as one of those groups.
If those rights are weakened, it becomes much harder for campaigns like ours to succeed.
That’s why we’re asking you to take one more simple step today.