Exclusive Interview: The Tyre Extinguishers

TYRE EXTINGUISHERS

Hello, War on Cars supporters!

Please enjoy this exclusive post, just for Patreon subscribers. 

Usually our bonus content comes in the form of a stand-alone episode or extra material from something we released in the general podcast feed. Not this time. It’s something we were hoping to release as a bonus episode but, as you’ll read, were unable to produce in the typical format. 

Still, we thought you'd find it interesting and thought-provoking and very much in line with the kind of content we produce.

Thanks as always,

- Aaron, Sarah and Doug

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In March 2021, a group calling itself the Tyre Extinguishers let the air out of the tires of SUVs in cities across the UK, striking mostly in wealthy neighborhoods and “deflating the tires on at least a thousand vehicles in two weeks.” Using lentils or other small objects placed inside tire valves, the activists have used this unique form of sabotage to call attention to the climate threat posed by SUVs — just one of many problems the group has with these gargantuan vehicles.

While the exact number of people who claim membership is unknown, what is known is that actions by people claiming to be affiliated with or at least inspired by the Tyre Extinguishers are spreading across the world. So far, drivers on three continents have returned to their vehicles only to find their tires deflated and a detailed manifesto of sorts left on their windshields.

The many issues with SUVs are well-worn territory for The War on Cars. A combination of regulatory loopholes, auto industry propaganda and cheap gas has led to a huge influx of such vehicles on city streets in recent years, leaving many activists and concerned citizens with little recourse. If policy is no match for these machines, is sabotage — especially a form of it that does not damage the vehicle but instead inconveniences the driver — the proper response?

To answer this question, we tried to book a representative of the Tyre Extinguishers as a guest on the podcast but were politely rejected. Not surprisingly, the person (or people) with whom we communicated was concerned that anything that could lead people to identify them would put them in legal jeopardy — or worse. We did offer to hide their identity using a voice-changing app, but they declined that option, too. All they would agree to is an interview conducted via email, which follows.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did the Tyre Extinguishers get started? What inspired your members to come together and how many people are involved?

We were inspired by Andreas Malm and his book How To Blow Up A Pipeline, which anyone serious about the climate crisis should read. There comes a point where asking politely and protesting has stopped working and it’s time for action to sabotage the machines that are killing us. We are all united by the science – that SUVs are a climate disaster.

Some participants are people who live near busy polluted roads, slowly choked by gas guzzlers. Others are cyclists who have been nearly killed by an SUV too many times. The exact number of people involved is impossible to tell due to the decentralized, leaderless nature of the action. That’s part of the strength of this – it makes us very difficult to detect or catch, because even the people at the center of this have no idea of the identities of the many people involved.

So far, we have deflated around 3,000 SUVs in fifteen UK locations. Actions have sprung up in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Colorado and Arizona. We added New Zealand to the list of countries we have struck in, which is incredible and shows how fast it is spreading.

You mentioned How to Blow Up a Pipeline as an inspiration. In it, Andreas Malm writes about deflating tires on luxury SUVs in Stockholm. Is he aware of your campaign?

We were delighted to see that Malm has referenced us in the introduction to a new e-book about the role of sabotage to stop the climate crisis, Property Will Cost Us The Earth.

While it may seem obvious to many people, it’s probably worth explaining: what is it about SUVs that makes your group want to single them out as worthy targets for climate activism?

We've chosen SUVs for a number of reasons - not least the International Energy Agency's research showing that the increasing pace of SUV buying is canceling out all the carbon savings from people switching to electric cars. If SUV drivers were a country, it would be the sixth-largest emitter in the world.

But aside from the climate reasons, there's also the issue of air pollution. Larger cars belch out more toxic fumes, polluting our towns and cities. Scientists increasingly link air pollution to a whole range of health problems, from heart attacks, strokes, cancer, lung problems, miscarriages, even mental health problems. Evidence is constantly emerging that air pollution is worse for us than we thought - and big polluting vehicles are the main culprits. If someone was walking along the streets spraying poisonous fumes into people's faces, they'd be arrested and probably locked up. But if you spray those fumes into people's faces using a car, it's somehow legal.

Another reason is how unsafe they are. SUVs are much more likely to kill compared to normal cars when striking pedestrians. Psychological studies have shown SUV drivers take more risks, putting other road users and pedestrians in danger. Even SUV drivers and passengers are more likely to die in accidents.

Anyone who's done any cycling at all in the UK knows how dangerous SUVs and their drivers are. What we do is part public safety, part revenge.

SUVs are also an attractive target because they are such an appalling example of

totally unnecessary luxury emissions. And if we get enough people taking part, we have a real chance of completely changing the conversation about large vehicles in cities, AND derailing a massive and rising source of emissions.

The final reason is: SUVs are ubiquitous. They're absolutely everywhere, and that means people in almost every urban area can take this action.

For the sake of argument, what do you say to people who claim they need such vehicles? How do you avoid targeting an SUV belonging to someone who legitimately needs it — or could at least make a convincing argument to a sympathetic reporter or media personality that would undermine your campaign?

We tell Tyre Extinguishers not to target cars clearly used for people with disabilities. However, we also hear from disabled people who are insulted by the idea that they are being used as an excuse for SUV use, and feel like disabled people are, without their consent, used as unwilling excuses by people without disabilities, as a reason not to create car-free cities.

Ultimately our activists are going to make mistakes, but we are driven by the imperative to save lives by fighting climate change, air pollution and unsafe driving.

London is blanketed by CCTV cameras and every building these days seems to have a Ring camera or other surveillance device aimed at the street. How do your members avoid being identified?

We tell Tyre Extinguishers to wear masks and hats. Although some people have been caught on CCTV, the footage is pretty much useless. As well as this, several police forces seem to be confused as to whether what we are doing is actually a crime.

Nobody has been caught yet, and we don't expect anyone to be either. We can strike anywhere, at any time. Unless someone is going to drink gallons of coffee and stay up all night laying in wait to make sure their precious toy isn't deflated, we are very unlikely to be caught. That’s what’s so good about this action – it’s very unlikely to result in arrest.

What confuses the police about your actions? Is it that you aren't technically damaging property but are instead only causing a temporary inconvenience? Is that the legal gray area?

Some might say it's criminal damage, but no real permanent damage is being done by removing air from a tire. Is it theft? Are we stealing the air in the tire? Is it 'interfering with a vehicle', as the UK's Criminal Attempts Act of 1981 lists as a criminal offense? The Act says the interference must be carried out with the intention of stealing the vehicle or something in the vehicle. Obviously we're not doing that.

For us, it's kind of academic, because whether it's a crime or not doesn't really matter. What matters is making it impossible to own an SUV in an urban area.

What do you say to people who believe that sabotage and other forms of protest such as blocking highways will only anger people and make them less inclined to support sustainability efforts, not more?

The social science on this is very clear: seemingly extreme climate protests don’t reduce support for climate action, they enhance it. Even though everyone claimed to hate Extinction Rebellion, their actions led to a massive upsurge in climate concern in the UK.

Our protest is beginning to have the impacts we want with literally hundreds of media articles, millions of comments, views and discussions on our actions, and some evidence that we are changing behavior, with the Telegraph suggesting motorists opt for smaller cars to avoid being targeted by The Tyre Extinguishers.

People who work on issues related to climate change often have deep disagreements about the benefits of focusing on individual actions versus working toward institutional change. My decision to stop driving is fine, but it won't do much to stop rising temperatures. Meanwhile, raising fuel efficiency standards or taxing SUVs out of existence would help quite a bit.

What do you say to people who say that deflating SUVs tires in wealthy neighborhoods is just another version of going after individuals rather than the corporations that, supported by generous government subsidies, have contributed the most to this problem?

We mostly believe that individuals are not responsible for climate change, but the rich in the global North, as a group, consume massively. There are some individual choices that are simply beyond the pale. Anyone who has bought a gas-guzzling SUV in a climate crisis has made a choice to say they don’t care about the impact their choices make. So although we shouldn’t focus on individual actions generally, there are some actions – like buying an SUV – that are so egregious they must be stopped.

There has been and likely will continue to be intense debate about your tactics, even among listeners of The War of Cars. Thankfully, the people who contact us are generally kind, intelligent and respectful even in disagreement. We’re sure your inbox tells a different story.

We’ve received all kinds of responses, some not so supportive:

"You are all scum in my opinion and no different to ISIS/SIL using terror to achieve your stupid agenda."

"Slit your wrists and bathe in your own blood.”

"Biggest scum of humanity, right after pedophiles."

"Touch my vehicle, and your ‘activist’ will not walk away. They will be wheeled away. On a stretcher. Fuck you guys, and fuck the environment. Vroom vroom. Hopefully you mess with the wrong persons vehicle and get fucking shot. You deserve to be tortured to death and your graves pissed on."

Honestly, we find these emails pretty funny. But we’ve also received supportive messages:

"I fully support your activities. Thank you for caring about the world."

"Hello. This is a great campaign. It hurts no one, causes no lasting damage, informs people as to why you are doing it and hopefully will make people question their choices. Well done."

"Just a note of praise for you. SUVs, people who sit with the engine running, pavement parking, etc. It’s good to walk. Keep up the good work."

A woman texted into the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio, a hugely popular drivetime radio show, and said: "I LOVE the Tyre Extinguishers – it’s a brilliant idea. Too many people have cars they don’t need. I gave up mine in October and don’t miss it. Keep going! Get people out of these ridiculous cars.’

Hilariously, we've also had requests:

"Plenty of SUVs and Land Rovers down [STREET IN NORTH LONDON]. Number 35

has several gas guzzlers. Go for it!"

What would you say to people who are concerned about climate change and considering going after SUVs but are understandably nervous about this kind of direct action?

We would say give it a go! Even if you just do a single SUV to start off with. We were nervous when we started doing this but we soon got into it. Wear a COVID mask and a hat. Practice on a bike tire first. Do it very late at night, when there is nobody around. Recruit some friends! All you need is our leaflet and some lentils! That's the beauty of this, anyone can do it. Go to our website to download the leaflet, which we now have in many different languages, follow the instructions, take action and then email us to let us know. We will handle the press bit.

By taking part, you'll be swapping words for action, and that's what we need. For decades we've been asking for change and not getting it. So it's time for us to directly stop the pollution ourselves.