Climate activists have been deflating people’s car tyres in Manchester

A group of climate activists have been deliberately deflating the tyres of large cars in Manchester to protest against ‘gas guzzlers’. 

On Tuesday evening, a number of vehicles in West Didsbury were targeted by The Tyre Extinguishers, who’s aim is to make it impossible to own a 4×4 or SUV in urban areas across the UK.

The group says these vehicles are ‘a disaster for our climate’, ‘unnecessary’, and ‘pure vanity’.

They also deflated the tyres of electric and hybrid cars because they are ‘still polluting, dangerous and cause congestion’.

The group left a note pinned to the windshield of each car targeted, which read: “We have deflated one or more of your tyres. You’ll be angry, but don’t take it personally. It’s not you, it’s your car.

“We did this because driving around urban areas in your massive vehicle has huge consequences for others.

“You will have no difficulty getting around without your gas guzzler, with walking, cycling or public transport.”

The owner of one of the vandalised cars has slammed the group as ‘dangerous’ and ‘irresponsible’, noting that their actions ‘are not just an inconvenience’.

Speaking to The Manchester Evening News, the driver – who wishes to remain anonymous -said: “My wife’s pregnant and I need to get her a hospital at some point.

“If I can’t do that because my car tyres have been let down, I’ve got to call an ambulance which takes that off of the road for somebody else, which is frankly dangerous and irresponsible.

“I bought [the car] because it’s fully electric, but I have two kids so I need a big car. I use it less than once a week, I cycle into work everyday, I have an entirely meat-free diet, I recycle everything. I care, I am conscious about what I do.

“It’s a fully electric vehicle so I’m not sure what else I could do. I’ll reinflate the tyre and we’ll see what happens next. It seems misplaced at best, frankly irresponsible at worst.”

A mission statement on the group’s website reads: “The Tyre Extinguishers are a leaderless group where citizens take action in their local area by using a website to learn how to deflate the tyres and to print off a leaflet to leave at the SUV to inform the owner of what has happened, for their safety.

“The group is taking this action because SUVs are a climate disaster – if SUV drivers were a country, they would be the seventh-largest polluting country in the world.

“SUVs cause air pollution. Larger cars belch out more toxic fumes, worsening air pollution in our town and cities. 

“SUVs are unnecessary. Three-quarters of these ‘off-road’ vehicles are sold to people living in towns and cities. They exist purely for the vanity of their owners, who see them as a status symbol.”

The group have said they are going global with their campaign to make it ‘impossible’ to own the vehicles, and claim to have followers across Europe and the United States.