ENVIRONMENTAL activists claim to have started an “escalation” in their campaign to deflate car tyres.
The Tyre Extinguishers said 120 SUVs were targeted in the group’s latest attempt to “make it impossible” to own the vehicles in urban areas.
A spokesman for the group said: “We are facing the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced. The climate crisis is an existential emergency.
“To safeguard a habitable world, we need to move off of fossil fuels as fast as possible. As the Just Stop Oil campaign has exposed, the first step is to stop all new fossil fuel licenses. This is a basic, common-sense policy for meaningful climate action.
While affluent parts of London, including Kensington, Paddington, Hempstead and Primrose Hill are among the latest targets, the activists intent to continue deflating tyres across the country, including in Brighton and Hove.
The Tyre Extinguishers recently announced it had deflated more tyres in Brighton than anywhere else in the country.
The spokesman said: “This action was taken because removing SUVs from urban areas is a necessary part of reducing unnecessary fossil fuel demand, supporting the energy transition, and securing a habitable world.”
"Three quarters of these ‘off-road’ vehicles are purchased by people living in towns or cities. We cannot allow SUVs to continue the incineration of our planet. Owning an SUV is dangerous. It can no longer be accepted.”
The Tyre Extinguishers describe SUVs as “a climate disaster”, “dangerous” and “unnecessary”.
SUVs feature elements of standard cars but are larger and have off-road capabilities such as high ground clearance.
The group describe themselves as “leaderless” and encourages people to take action by reading instructions on how to deflate tyres on its website.
People can also print off leaflets to leave on the windscreen of affected vehicles to inform drivers what has happened.
Activists are urged to avoid SUVs “clearly used” by people with disabilities or by tradespersons.
The group says activists will "continue to take action until the government invests in free public transport and enforces tax levies on SUV ownership in cities.
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