Edinburgh activists target SUVs in solidarity with Spain’s flood victims | Environmental activism

Local weather activists in Scotland have carried out a collection of actions towards SUV automobiles, saying they’re performing in solidarity with the victims of the Valencia floods.

The Tyre Extinguishers have known as on their supporters to take actions towards SUV automobiles of their areas, after members of the group in Edinburgh stencilled the edges of focused autos on Sunday evening with the phrases: “These automobiles kill Valencians.”

At the least 214 individuals have been reported killed in Valencia and surrounding areas after unprecedented rainfall final week induced flooding that swept away bridges, automobiles and streetlights. World heating made the heavy rainfall about 12% heavier and twice as possible, in response to an preliminary estimate carried out by scientists from World Climate Attribution.

The flooding has been described because the worst pure catastrophe in latest Spanish historical past.

Posting photos of the Edinburgh actions on their account on X, the Tyre Extinguishers mentioned: “SUVs focused in solidarity with Valencia local weather victims.

“Outraged Edinburgh residents took motion final evening highlighting SUV’s [sic] disproportionate function in inflicting catastrophic climate, like that which has killed over 200 in Spain.

“If SUVs have been a rustic they’d be the fifth largest world polluter. There have been over 360m SUVs on world roads in 2023, producing 1bn tonnes of CO2, up 10% on 2022. Consequently, international oil consumption rose by 600,000 barrels/day, greater than 1 / 4 of whole oil demand progress.

“Protestors defaced SUVs all through Edinburgh’s New City, and left windscreens with photographs of victims like José Castillejo, 28, who died within the Valencia floods, and Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, who have been killed final 12 months when an out-of-control Land Rover hit their main faculty.

“We name on all TX teams to take solidarity actions on behalf of local weather victims. We gained’t cease till these loss of life machines are off our roads.”

The Tyre Extinguishers quoted an activist named as Priya, who was mentioned to have taken half within the Edinburgh actions, as saying: “We hit 16 automobiles final evening, and extra deliberate … Not sufficient is being carried out to focus on that disasters like Valencia have human causes. This isn’t a pure catastrophe, it’s a catastrophe fuelled by our governments being enslaved by the fossil gas and automobile lobbies.

“We’d like emergency motion now to convey an finish to SUV emissions, and if governments don’t do it, then it’s as much as residents to do it for them.”

Police Scotland was unable to offer any details about whether or not the incidents had been reported or an investigation was underneath manner with out extra particular particulars of the areas of the focused autos.

Water-soluble spray chalk was used to deface the automobiles, the Guardian has been advised.