The No SUV Tolosa collective claims a action against SUVs in Toulouse. During the night of Saturday October 19 to Sunday October 20, activists deflated the wheels of 65 vehicles.
The collective accuses them of being “the enemies of pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists” and wants to return tribute to Paul Varry, 27 years olddied last Tuesday, hit by an SUV driver in Paris. This 52-year-old man, who was driving with his 17-year-old daughter in the vehicle, was indicted and placed in pre-trial detention last Friday for murder.
“Metal Monsters”
“To accommodate these metal monsters, we are transforming our cities, stealing pedestrian space“, also describes the collective in its press release. “An SUV driver, touched in his ego, unable to manage his emotions, preferring to run over a cyclist and traumatize his own daughter present in the vehicle, rather than listening to the cyclist’s criticisms and questioning himself.“
According to one Belgian study from the Vias Institutethe heavier the vehicle, the more serious the injuries, just as the risk for a pedestrian of dying due to an impact with a vehicle is 63% greater with an SUV than with a classic sedan.
Activists had already carried out similar actions in Toulouse, regularly denouncing the significant CO2 emissions released by these vehicles.
“The feeling of risking your life every day”
Alongside this action, several hundred people gathered in ToulousePlace du Capitole, Saturday October 19 to pay tribute to Paul, with a minute of silence. During a speech, a cyclist shared her “feeling of risking one’s life every day“.
The Minister for Transport François Durovray announced that it would receive user associations tomorrow. For its part, the FUB, the Federation of Bicycle Users, is asking the State to keep its commitments made within the framework of the bicycle plan.
