Guerrilla climate activists Tyre Extinguishers have claimed their largest night of action against SUVs with 900 of the vehicles targeted around the world.
The activist group said last night on November 28, and early morning of November 29, that citizens in eight countries deflated tyres on nearly 900 polluting SUVs.
This is the largest coordinated global action against high-carbon vehicles in history, with many more to come. The latest communique from the Tyre Extinguishers shows that its campaign of clandestine climate action against the owners of 4 x 4 s is still going strong, nearly nine months after the first reports of actions in the UK.
They are calling for a ban on SUVs in urban areas. They have said that they want to make it impossible to own a huge polluting 4 x 4 in the world's urban areas. In Leeds, London and Zurich, activists reported that more than 100 cars were targeted.
Tom Haworth, of Yorkshire ambulance service, said on Twitter that the group had targeted his vehicle in Leeds. He said that he was congratulated on a picture of a pump attached to a car tyre and a Tyre Extinguishers leaflet. You have successfully managed to deflate the tyres of an emergency vehicle! It was not clear whether he was a marked emergency vehicle.
The campaign had reported more than 600 vehicles disarmed in nine countries after the previous claimed biggest night of action in early September.
The campaign's coordinators claim that the support of the movement has deflated the tyres on more than 10,000 vehicles in cities around the world. The group has said that around 100 autonomous groups around the world are sabotaging SUV tyres.
The Tyre Extinguishers said that there are other groups taking similar action that the Tyre Extinguishers are not in direct contact with, and not all actions are reported.
The Tyre Extinguishers set up in March and criticised SUVs as unnecessary luxury emissions flaunted by the wealthy, that are a climate disaster, cause air pollution and make our roads more dangerous. Before explaining how jamming a lentil or other small pulse into the tyre valve of a car, and replacing its cap, can cause it to leak air all night long, it suggests.
Their site also provides print-at- home information leaflets for saboteurs to leave on vehicles to explain why they have been targeted.
Marion Walker, a Tyre Extinguishers spokesperson, said: "We want to show that anyone, everywhere, can take action to end the dominance of massive cars in the world s cities." They need only a leaflet and a lentil. Our movement will grow once the idea is out there, it can't be stopped.