https://nypost.com/2022/04/11/radical-environmental-group-urges-people-to-deflate-suv-tires/
A radical environmental group is urging its followers to target “wealthy areas” and let the air out of gas-guzzling SUV tires in an effort to fight climate change.
Adbusters — which describes itself as “an international collective of artists, designers, writers, musicians, poets, punks, philosophers and wild hearts” — posted instructions on how to deflate the tires.
“Wedge gravel in the tire valves, leaflet the SUV to let them know the tires are flat and why it was done, and walk away. It’s that simple,” the group said in a tweet.
“If we organize, we can hit enough SUVs in particular neighborhoods to spark reporting and spread the metameme,” it added.
The group also told its followers to “start by targeting wealthy areas – our goal isn’t to disrupt workers – and avoid targeting vehicles with disabled stickers or hangers.”
It said that deflating the tires of SUVs — which are playing a large role in carbon emissions, it argued — also would “hurt the automotive industry where it hurts.”
Adbusters, whose goal is a “total reinvention of the cultural and political playbook,” argued that climate change is the “biggest crisis we’ve faced as a species, and we are failing the test at every step.”
The nonprofit insisted that “it’s time for us to carefully escalate our methods in a non-violent manner to convey the seriousness of this crisis in tangible ways.”
Adbusters did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Post.
Some Twitter users slammed the pro-environment group for its radical tactic — arguing it is dangerous.
“Of course you are aware that if the wife doesn’t notice an intentionality partially deflated tire, gets on the highway, winds up blowing a tire from being overheated, the vehicle could easily roll,” one critic wrote.
“I predict a lot of ‘a car thief was shot’ news stories if you actually do this,” another person warned.
The tweet has not been taken down but Twitter’s terms of service warn members that “they may not engage in the targeted harassment of someone, or incite other people to do so.”
“We consider abusive behavior an attempt to harass, intimidate, or silence someone else’s voice,” the platform says.
