Environmental Protest Group Claims Responsibility for Vandalizing 20 SUVs in Edinburgh

A group advocating for environmental causes has taken credit for spray-painting twenty sport utility vehicles on a street in Edinburgh. On Monday, residents residing in Moray Place discovered slogans such as “Ban SUVs?” and “These cars kill kids” painted on their vehicles. Police Scotland confirmed that multiple reports of vehicle vandalism had been submitted from the city centre street. The organization known as The Tyre Extinguishers stated its reason for targeting the vehicles was that they “poison our planet”. A 43-year-old woman, who requested anonymity, informed BBC Scotland News that her 17-year-old Range Rover sustained permanent damage. “These guys are not activists, this is vandalism. They are vandalising people’s property. They don’t know why I have this vehicle.”It’s not a new vehicle, it’s not flashy, it’s worth pennies and is old.” Her husband observed the paint on the vehicle’s bonnet while taking their children to school, as frost had previously obscured it. “He was absolutely mortified. He felt that we had been targeted and that it’s telling a story that’s not accurate,” she commented. The mother of two children explained her reliance on the car for transporting a therapy dog—a large former racing greyhound—to various hospitals, and for her husband and son, both of whom measure 6ft4ins in height. The yoga instructor mentioned that she refuels her car only once every six weeks and refrains from air travel. She stated, “I’m mostly vegetarian, I recycle and haven’t been home to see my family in California for eight years, I do loads of things for the environment.” She further added, “It is more important to keep your car, science proves, and drive it into the ground for the environment than it is to consume.” She indicated that their household operated as a one-car-family and avoided extensive driving. Although attempts were made to remove the paint, the outlines of the stencilled slogans remain discernible on the bonnet. She mentioned they were submitting a claim to their insurance provider for the repair expenses. Earlier in the current year, numerous vehicles in the identical vicinity had their tyres deflated by The Tyre Extinguishers, an organization that declares its objective is to “make it impossible to own an SUV in the world’s urban areas”. The identical group asserted responsibility for this recent incident via a social media post. It stated: “Edinburgh TX out again on a frosty night! SUVs decorated with climate and SUV crash victims.”The people who drive these Chelsea tractors have assumed it as their right to dominate our streets and poison our planet.” Chief Inspector Mark Hamilton of Police Scotland stated, “We have received several reports of cars being vandalised in Moray Place, Edinburgh.” He added, “Inquiries are ongoing and we would encourage members of the public to call us immediately if they see anyone acting suspiciously close to parked vehicles.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.