A Chinese seafood restaurant in Dublin has been raided by animal rights activists, who took nine lobsters from their tank before releasing them into the Irish Sea.

Members from three different Irish animal rights groups, the National Animal Rights Association, Direct Action For Animals and the Alliance For Animal Rights, banded together to carry out the operation on 8 May. The activists entered the Ka Shing restaurant asking for a table, while others proceeded to sneak behind the staff and take the animals.

After nine lobsters were placed in a bag, the group calmly left the restaurant holding a large banner. A member of staff then noticed the empty fish tank and proceeded to chase the activists through Dublin city centre, but to no avail.

The group later drove to the Irish coast, removed the clips on the lobsters' claws, and released the crustaceans into the sea. Footage of the caper was then uploaded by the National Animal Rights Association to YouTube.