At around 7:00 am on May 21, 2008, members of the Austrian elite police force (WEGA) stormed several apartments across the country. Some of the residents were woken up in their beds at gunpoint. A total of twenty-three (23) apartments, houses and offices were searches in Vienna, Lower Austria, Styria and Tirol. In many of the apartments the WEGA kicked in the doors. The officers stormed the apartments like in bad Hollywood movies. Only after the residents had been intimidated, "secured" on the wall and/or put in handcuffs did the police start the searches.
All the arrestees are active in the animal rights movement in Austria. The offices of at least 4 animal rights group were search by police. The 10 people, a few of which are currently on hunger strike, are still in custody. On a bail hearing on June 6th, the judge decided to keep them in jail for at least 4 weeks further.