ACTIVISTS in Scotland have targeted SUV cars in Edinburgh "in solidarity with Valencia climate victims", a group has claimed.
Campaign members of The Tyre Extinguishers posted pictures of the protest on social media, while calling on supporters to join in on the action in their areas.
Protesters stencilled the sides of targeted vehicles in Edinburgh's New Town on Sunday night with the words: “These cars kill Valencians".
It is understood water-soluble chalk was used. Pictures of victims were also left on the windscreens of vehicles.
More than 200 people have been confirmed dead in the flooding disaster so far, with searches continuing for bodies inside houses and the thousands of cars left strewn in the streets.
Volunteers and residents are helping thousands of soldiers and police officers clean up the mud and debris left behind by the floods.
In the post online, The Tyre Extinguishers said: “SUVs targeted in solidarity with Valencia climate victims.
“Outraged Edinburgh residents took action last night highlighting SUV’s [sic] disproportionate role in causing catastrophic weather, like that which has killed over 200 in Spain.
“If SUVs were a country they’d be the fifth biggest world polluter. There were over 360m SUVs on world roads in 2023, producing 1bn tonnes of CO2, up 10% on 2022. As a result, global oil consumption rose by 600,000 barrels/day, more than a quarter of total oil demand growth.
“Protestors defaced SUVs throughout Edinburgh’s New Town, and left windscreens with images of victims like José Castillejo, 28, who died in the Valencia floods, and Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, who were killed last year when an out-of-control Land Rover hit their primary school.
“We call on all TX groups to take solidarity actions on behalf of climate victims. We won’t stop until these death machines are off our roads.”
An activist named as Priya, who took part in the Edinburgh actions, added: “We hit 16 cars last night, and more planned … Not enough is being done to highlight that disasters like Valencia have human causes. This is not a natural disaster, it’s a disaster fuelled by our governments being enslaved by the fossil fuel and car lobbies.
“We need emergency action now to bring an end to SUV emissions, and if governments don’t do it, then it’s up to citizens to do it for them.”
