Solidarity for the imprisoned Austrian Activists - 16-18 June

Since the 21st of June 2008 the animal rights movement sees itself confronted with an incomparable wave of repression! In the early morning armed units of the special force WEGA 23 raided apartments and offices of animal liberators in Vienna, Graz, Tirol and Kärnten.

10 people were violently arrested at gun point, accused of the formation of a criminal organisation and participation in so far unsolved direct actions against animal exploiting companies! The affected activists and groups had been participating in the campaign against the fashion company Kleider-Bauer.

Furthermore, these raids have affected numerous societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals and the Vegan Society in Austria, who have been stripped of the tools required for their existence by the confiscation of computers and other files, as well as the destruction of infrastructural facilities such as telephone networks and other organisational tools.

These massive attempts at intimidation have led to mass actions of solidarity with the accused and arrested! In Vienna and Graz there were solidarity demonstrations on the very same day in which up to 200 people participated! A few days later, animal liberators demonstrated in Stockholm, Berlin, Hamburg and Munich in front of agencies for Austrians abroad and demanded the immediate release of the prisoners.

Kleider-Bauer has been the target of continuous protests by animal liberation activists in Austria for two years! Their demands are simple, nothing less than the complete end of the fashion chain's support for the fur trade and the implementation of a fur-free policy! In order to continue the campaign, and support the imprisoned activists, there is now a global call to take action against the fur trade of the Kleider-Bauer Group.

Write emails to the addresses listed below and/or call the Kleider-Bauer group to demand they immediately end their support of the fur industry! These attempts of state repression to constrain the capability of animal rights to take action against animal exploiters must not be left unanswered,

We will not be intimidated, we will keep on fighting!

By acting in solidarity with the imprisoned activists we will show the Austrian state that it's threatening gestures cannot halt the campaigns to end animal exploitation and sends a clear signal to other states considering similar actions that such efforts are futile!

Contact Kleider-Bauer by Telephone, Fax and/or Email:

Tel: +43(1) 91944-0
(Try direct-inward dialings as well, e.g. -200, -201,-202...)

Fax: +43(1) 91944-10

Via Email:

info@kleiderbauer.at,

office@kleiderbauer.at,

wg@kleiderbauer.at,

pg@kleiderbauer.at,

eb@kleiderbauer.at,

peter_graf@kleiderbauer.at,

werner_graf@kleiderbauer.at,

peter@kleiderbauer.at,

marjan_firouz@kleiderbauer.at,

joana_bogdanova@kleiderbauer.at,

ernst_legat@kleiderbauer.at,

michael_stocker@kleiderbauer.at,

sehriban_akyapu@kleiderbauer.at,

filiale@fil38.kleiderbauer.at,

filiale734@kleiderbauer.at,

filiale781@kleiderbauer.at,

filiale13@kleiderbauer.at

Support the accused and arrested! Organise demonstrations in front of Austrian embassies, or other institutes of animal exploitation, between the 16th and 18th of June to demand the immediate release of the Austrian prisoners!!!

For more information see: