'Targeting the wrong people': Frustration as activist group deflates tires on dozens of Vancouver Island SUVs

A woman who is nearly nine months pregnant was one of dozens of people who saw the tires of their SUVs deflated by an activist group on Vancouver Island over the weekend.

Robert Kennedy, the woman's father, says while combatting the climate crisis is a worthy goal, the tactic is taking aim at the wrong people and could put people like his daughter in danger.

"The more I thought about it, the more angry I got about it because that put her in a very bad position," he told CTV News. 

While his daughter was able to get a compressor and pump the air back into her tires, Kennedy says he's relieved that she didn’t need to use her car to get to the hospital or a medical appointment when she discovered it was not driveable.

"She's certainly not going to entertain what these folks are trying to achieve and get rid of her SUV," he said.

"I fully agree that we have to do something about our contribution to climate change. We should be doing it quicker than what we are, but this is not the way to get the message across. They're targeting the wrong people … They're not doing their cause any good whatsoever."

Kennedy also worries that people who don’t immediately notice their tires are deflated will start driving before realizing the risk.

"They don't think through the consequences of what could happen. It's a criminal offense and it could seriously hurt or kill somebody," he added.

The group, called "Tyre Extinguishers," describes itself as "a worldwide direct action environmentalist group with the goal of eliminating SUVs from urban areas."

It claimed to have "disarmed" 34 vehicles Thursday night in Victoria and Oak Bay, in what the group said was the first Tyre Extinguishers action in Western Canada.

"We are taking action because, like so many British Columbians, we have felt angry, powerless, afraid, and overwhelmed at the global scale of the climate crisis and the glacial pace of action, and we have asked ourselves: what direct action can we do that makes a difference?" the group said in a statement on its website.

"We know some people will be frustrated, upset, and/or angry at us," the group said. "Unfortunately, we do not have any time to waste in reducing our emissions. The people whose tires we have deflated will be inconvenienced, but ultimately, will be able to get around by using public transit, walking, or cycling like so many other residents of Victoria and Oak Bay do."

The Oak Bay Police Department confirmed it received nine reports over the weekend. If the perpetrators are caught, they will likely face charges of mischief under $5,000, police said. That offence carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison, according to the Criminal Code.

CTV News has also reached out to the Victoria Police Department for comment and this story will be updated if informatin is received. 

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Mary Cranston