Climate protection or vandalism? Activists damage SUVs in Vienna

Climate protection or vandalism? Activists damage SUVs in Vienna

activists from the group "Tyre Expinguisher" caused excitement in Vienna-Hietzing on the evening of November 11, 2024. They posted a photo of a black SUV on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, and explained that they had damaged the tires of 50 SUVs at night. However, the Viennese police later found that 24 vehicles were actually affected.

On the windshields of the parked SUVs hung notes that should tell the vehicle owners that the incident is not meant personally. The activists pursue a goal with their actions: in their opinion, SUVs are an increased risk of road traffic, since they are often associated with risky driving behavior and cause more severe damage to collisions.

"In Hietzing in the area of Wattmanngasse and the surrounding area, property damage caused by unknown perpetrators on several vehicles. The responsible civil servants filed advertisements," said police spokeswoman Julia Schick. The investigation is underway and the State Office for State Security and Extremism Control was informed. So far, however, the police have not managed statistics that could document the frequency of such incidents. Schick made it clear that there are no reputable numbers for these vandalism files.

An older incident illustrates the potential dangers when the "dunning letters" are overlooked by the vehicle owners. In 2022, activists in Döbling left air out of the tires of luxury off -road vehicles. A driver did not notice the defective tires and caused an accident in which a pedestrian was slightly injured. These incidents raise questions about the security and methodology of the activists.

The "Tyre Exlinguisher" are not only active in Vienna. In the spring of 2024, they reported 80 plates tires in Wiener Neustadt, while the police only confirmed 50. References to psychological studies that examine the risky driving behavior of SUV drivers underpin the justification of the activists for their actions.

The topic moves the minds and it remains to be seen how the police will react to these repeated incidents. The group's commitment indicates a growing concern about traffic safety and the responsibility of vehicle owners. More details about this incident can on kurier.at become.