Tyres deflated on more than 100 SUVs and 4x4s in Bristol overnight

A group of young people calling themselves ‘Reclaim Our Communities’ have claimed responsibility for letting down the tyres on more than 100 SUV vehicles parked in the Clifton^[1] area of Bristol last night.

It’s the latest attack on large 4x4s and Sports Utility Vehicles in the area, but the first to be claimed by the new group - previous incidents have been claimed by an international group called Tyre Extinguishers.

In a statement, ‘Reclaim Our Communities (ROC)’, said they are ‘are a group of young people angered and fearful of the world we are inheriting’, and issued a series of demands on the Government over climate change and transport policies.

The group said it let the air out of the tyres on more than 100 SUVs in the Clifton area of Bristol, and acknowledged the act of ‘rebellion’ would ‘cause extreme frustration and resentment’. In a statement, after outlining the climate and ecological emergency facing the planet, the group said: “We are left with no other option. If the institutions of power will not affect the necessary change, we must do so ourselves. Therefore, yesterday in the Clifton area we deflated over 100 SUVs.

“The contribution of SUVs to global emissions may be thought to be inconsequential. But this is completely false, SUVs were the second largest cause of the global rise in CO2 emissions in the past decade. If the SUV industry was a country it would be the sixth biggest CO2 emitter. Temporarily disarming vehicles is an effective way to reduce the consumption of SUVs: after wave of tyre extinguishing in Sweden in 2007, sales dropped by 27 per cent.

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"We made sure to target SUVs in an affluent area with easy access to public transport, we also left a note explaining why we did it. Though it will undoubtedly cause extreme frustration and resentment, we do this act of rebellion out of love. We will not be complicit in the ecological collapse of our world which could see billions suffer. We will fight to reclaim our community,” the group statement added.

The activities of ‘The Tyre Extinguishers’ and now Reclaim Our Communities has been hugely controversial and in Bristol, has been largely targeted in affluent areas to the north west of the city centre, in Clifton, Redland, Henleaze and Stoke Bishop. Avon and Somerset police have been investigating, although letting down tyres on a vehicle, without causing any damage, is a grey area legally and there have been no convictions in Bristol for the act.

The Tyre Extinguishers’ website outlines its policy of advising anyone taking part to not target vehicles with blue disabled badges, or tradespeople’s vehicles, but say that electric SUVs are ‘fair game’^[5].

The ROC group in Bristol said its three demands were implementing an SUV tax in Bristol for individuals who do not require a large vehicle, insulate homes and provide free public transport. “Until any genuine attempt is made to achieve these demands our actions will increase in magnitude and disruption. Let’s build something better,” they added.

References

1. ^{^} Clifton (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Tyre Extinguisher activists let down electric 4x4 tyres in Bristol (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Tyre Extinguishers letter was 'insulting' says 78-year-old targeted by campaign (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
4. ^{^} signing up to our daily newsletter (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
5. ^{^} electric SUVs are ‘fair game’ (www.bristolpost.co.uk)