Animal rights nonprofit group PETA sues DC Metro over refusal to run ads
PETA has filed a lawsuit against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), claiming the agency unlawfully blocked three PETA advertisements on the D.C. Metro. PETA says WMATA used a rule against ads that “influence members of the public” on issues with “varying opinions” to justify rejecting the ads, which PETA argues violates its First Amendment rights.
The rejected ads included animal imagery with donation prompts and a QR code, such as: “Help us help them. Donate to PETA,” a “free Vegan Starter Kit” membership pitch, and an ad featuring pigs with messaging tied to donating. PETA also cites its prior legal fight with WMATA, saying it had paused earlier action in 2025 after WMATA revised its advertising criteria, but that this recent rejection still conflicts with the updated guidelines.
PETA’s general counsel said the group expects to prove WMATA’s decision was unconstitutional and that PETA should be allowed to seek donations through Metro advertising. the Washington Examiner reports WMATA has been contacted for comment.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a lawsuit against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority on Thursday, arguing the Washington, D.C., agency illegally barred the animal rights organization from advertising in the metro system.
The lawsuit objects to WMATA’s decision last year to bar three of PETA’s proposed advertisements from the D.C. metro because they violated the agency’s rule prohibiting “advertisements intended to influence members of the public regarding an issue on which there are varying opinions.” PETA argued that the transportation agency and General Manager Randy Clarke are violating the nonprofit group’s First Amendment rights by preventing them from placing their advertisements.
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“For reasons unknown to PETA, but that seem to only be explicable as stemming from a deeply held ideological bias against what it perceives as PETA’s underlying mission WMATA, under the leadership of Defendant Randy Clarke, appears to have instituted a blanket ban on any ads from PETA,” the complaint reads. “WMATA enforces this ban no matter how anodyne and compliant with WMATA policies PETA’s proposed ads may be.”
The three advertisements the animal rights organization proposed last year each depicted images of animals with captions and QR codes to donate to the organization. The first advertisement was an image of a cat, pig, dog, and chicken grouped together, reading “Help us help them. Donate to PETA.” The second included an image of a pig and a “vegan starter kit,” with text reading “Free Vegan Starter Kit. Join Today: Become a PETA member.” The last ad included an image of a mass group of pigs holding a flag that reads “Pigs can’t fight for pigs rights” with a caption that says “That’s why we’re here. Please donate to PETA.”
Thursday’s complaint is the latest lawsuit PETA has filed against WMATA, following a similar 2017 lawsuit against the agency’s advertising guidelines. PETA said it dropped its 2017 lawsuit against the Washington Metro in 2025 after the agency provided more criteria for what qualifies for its advertisements, but this week’s lawsuit argues that its rejection of the three ads flies in the face of this clarified criteria.
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“PETA looks forward to establishing that WMATA’s rejection was unconstitutional and that PETA has the right to seek donations to support its mission of animal liberation,” PETA’s General Counsel Asher Smith said in a statement.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to WMATA for comment.
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