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Global environmental group Direct Action says it will expand its tire pumping campaign in Western Canada
Publication date:
Aug 01, 2022 • 2 hours ago • 2 minutes read • 15 comments Tire Firefighters on Twitter said the action in Victoria was the first of its West Coast chapter and was planned to spread to other major cities. This will include Vancouver. Photo by THE TIRE EXTINGUISHERS/ @T_EXTINGUISHERS /Twitter
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A group called The Tire Extinguishers is expected to arrive in Vancouver soon to deflate the tires of large SUVs.
According to a copy of a handout posted on social media by Linda Steele, protesters deflated the tires of 34 SUVs in Victoria and Oak Bay over the weekend.
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An environmental activist group says it has slashed the tires of 34 SUVs in Victoria and Oak Bay, warning “this is just the beginning”. It is said that “direct action works”. This will not end well if any of these activists are caught in the act. pic.twitter.com/XbTcwH4LIs
— Linda Steele 🎙🌻 (@steeletalk) August 1, 2022
The flyer was placed on the windshield of one of these jeeps. It reads in part: “We have dropped one or more of your tires. You will be angry, but don’t take it personally. It’s not you. This is your car. We did this because driving around urban areas in your massive vehicle has huge consequences for others.’
The memo then lists those consequences, including the claim that SUVs pollute more than smaller vehicles, that they are more dangerous if they hit a pedestrian, and that SUV drivers are more likely to drive in a risky manner.
Tire Firefighters said on Twitter that the action in Victoria was the first of its West Coast chapter and was planned to spread to other major cities. This will include Vancouver.
The group claims to be “a global environmental group for direct action to remove SUVs from urban areas.”
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The account also has images of operatives inflating tires.
It’s been a busy year in British Columbia for direct action to promote environmental causes.
In May, a group called Stop Old Growth Logging, led by activist Zain Haq, began blocking busy highway routes during rush hour traffic in an attempt to get the British Columbia NDP government to stop logging old growth trees. This led to multiple arrests, one protester was injured, and Hack was eventually arrested and detained by Canada Border Services Agency for being in Canada on a student permit and being arrested – which usually leads to deportation.
Soon after, the group said it would no longer interfere with traffic and would focus on the public and organizing events. There is no word on whether Haq was deported.
The Tire Fire Extinguisher website states that volunteers should head to “luxury/midrange areas” and unscrew the valve cap on the tire and press down on the pin in the center of the valve, insert a lens and then reseal. Volunteers are asked to anonymously tip the local press to attract attention. It lists Land Rover Discovery models as a prime candidate for deflation.
The group is particularly active in the UK
The Vancouver Police Department did not respond by deadline to indicate whether running a tire is a criminal offence.
dcarrigg@postmedia.com
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