Anonymous Submission to North Shore Counter-Info
On July 21, Tyre Extinguishers deflated the tyres of 100 SUVs and pick-up trucks, disrupting their ability to be driven.
This was done to bring attention to the immense danger these gas guzzlers present to the environment, pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists.
They are not practical or necessary at all, they are just symbols of the financial status and ego of their owners. They are a climate and public safety disaster that have no reason to be so widely used.
Electric vehicles are not a solution. We don’t need electric oversized metal monsters on the roads, we need to get rid of them entirely in favour of robust and accessible public transport and cycling options.
The governments that claim to act in the interest of the public have not acted on this epidemic, so activists chose to take the matter into their own hands and keep these murderous machines off the roads for some time.
More information on the motivations behind this movement and how it can easily be replicated by others is available at tyreextinguishers.com.
A couple of points. First, for home made tire deflators it’s better to modify pieces of a telescoping antenna or other metal tubes with a sharp bevel on one end like a large hypodermic needle than it is to use nails. They allow the air to escape quickly instead of puncturing and the plugging thenwhole. Second, using them on privately owned vehicles just antagonizes a group we need to convince, not antagonize. They definitely *should be used* on commercial vehicles and *especially* unsold stock at dealership, and more importantly, factory lots. Vehicles that have not been sold to dealerships yet.
The most “popular method” of Tyre Extinguishers involves the use of something like green lentils (red lentils tend to be a little too small) or similar objects inserted in caps which are then screwed on again, to open the core of the valve and release the air. The two methods are not destructive. Letting out the air too quickly causes a lot of noise, which increases the risk of attracting immediate attention. That should be kept in mind.
Those who feel “antagonized” would feel the same for any other protest action had a kind of impact on their daily life. They do not mind holding signs near a building, but do not dare interrupt traffic and cause a significant interruption! For them, an interruption of their ignorant daily life will be “too far”, “ineffective” and “unacceptable” because they just want to completely ignore the problem. Frustration and inserting into bystanders the fear of buying a dangerous vehicle that will then be targeted are part of the point.
That said, yes, such tactics should be used absolutely against corporate vehicles and police car fleets, if direct destruction (such as lighting fire starters placed on front tyres) is not an option.
Some of us believe antagonizing property-holding colonizers on stolen land is good—even convincing at times.