Eco mob targets SUV drivers and deflates 'hundreds' of the vehicles' tyres across UK
8 March 2022, 08:25 | Updated: 8 March 2022, 13:32
An eco mob that styles itself 'the Tyre Extinguishers' has targeted hundreds of SUV drivers in a campaign to keep them off the roads because of the amount of pollution they cause.
The group claimed it had let down tyres on vehicles in Chelsea, Chiswick, Harley Street, Hampstead Heath, Notting Hill, Belgravia, Clapham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Sheffield, Liverpool and Edinburgh in a disruptive protest aimed at keeping them off roads.
The group, understood to be a splinter group of Extinction Rebellion, said they want to "make it impossible to own an SUV in the UK’s urban areas."
They believe that the vehicles are a "a climate disaster", cause air pollution and make roads more dangerous.
The group claimed to have let down tyres on hundreds of vehicles across the UK in their first action as part of a series of protests.
The group put leaflets on cars once the tyres have been let down, to let the owner know what has happened before they try to drive off.
The group justified its actions saying: "If SUV drivers were a country, they would be the seventh-largest polluting country in the world. Air pollution is racist; people of colour live in areas more likely to be exposed to toxic air. SUV drivers tend to be richer, and therefore tend to be white.
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"SUVs are dangerous: SUVs are much more likely to kill compared to normal cars when striking pedestrians. Psychological studies have shown SUV drivers take more risks, putting other road users and pedestrians in danger."
Marion Walker from The Tyre Extinguishers said: “Governments and politicians have failed to protect us from these massive unnecessary vehicles. SUVs are a climate disaster, they cause air pollution and are dangerous for other road users. Everyone hates them, apart from the people who drive them."
The Tyre Extinguishers group says it wants to see bans on SUVs in urban areas, pollution levies to tax SUVs out of existence, and more investment in public transport.
A spokesperson for the Met said: "We are aware of a statement by Tyre Extinguisher alleging damage to vehicles at various locations in London by them.
"We ask that reports of this nature are made through the Met's website and we will assess these to establish whether offences have been committed.
"At this time, we are not aware of any investigations being launched."
