Tyre Extinguishers end four-year SUV tyre deflation campaign after 5,000-plus attacks
The Tyre Extinguishers say they are ending their campaign of deflating SUV tyres after four and a half years, though they maintain that opposition to large cars in cities should continue. The group’s departure matters because its actions caused disruption for drivers and raised debate over whether climate activism can justify property damage.
The group claims to have deflated more than 5,000 tyres in 22 countries, including in UK cities such as Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and London. It began organising in March 2022, urged members to target affluent areas and did not exempt electric or hybrid SUVs; its website is due to close, while its social media accounts will remain online.
- The Tyre Extinguishers say they are ending their tyre-deflation campaign.
- The group claims more than 5,000 tyres were deflated in 22 countries.
- It says opposition to large SUVs in cities should continue.
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The Tyre Extinguishers are a climate activist group that targeted sport utility vehicles, or SUVs, by letting air out of their tyres. The group says it began organising in March 2022 and that its actions affected more than 5,000 tyres across 22 countries, including the UK.
The group says it is ending the tyre deflations but still opposes large cars in cities. Its campaign affected drivers and prompted debate about the environmental impact of SUVs and whether property damage is an acceptable form of protest.
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The case for
Supporters may argue that targeting SUVs drew attention to the climate impact, road danger and use of public space associated with large cars in cities, where their size and emissions can affect people beyond their owners. They may see disruptive direct action as a way to press for change when ordinary campaigning seems too slow, while accepting that the campaign’s methods were contentious.
The case against
Critics may argue that deflating tyres damaged or interfered with other people’s property and could leave drivers, including those with legitimate needs for larger vehicles, stranded or facing costs. They may also contend that targeting vehicles by type or neighbourhood risks alienating the public and undermining climate advocacy, which should pursue change through lawful persuasion and policy.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Climate vigilante group The Tyre Extinguishers who waged war on 4x4s will end vandalism after nearly five years ‘disarming thousands of SUVs in 22 countries’”.