Activists struck

Tires of 12 cars flat: woman almost crashed

Flyer behind the windscreen and broken tires - the "Tyre Extinguishers" were once again on the road in Döbling.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Luftnot Kollektiv/ zVg)

There were dangerous scenes in Vienna-Döbling on Thursday. Once again, a radical group of activists had let the air out of the tires of twelve cars. A pregnant woman with a small child overlooked the note - and crashed her car into oncoming traffic. 

They call themselves "The Tyre Extinguishers" and are part of the activist group "Luftnot Kollektiv". In the past, this group of unknown individuals has already caused displeasure in Döbling and Lower Austria - as reported by the "Krone" newspaper. On Friday, the self-proclaimed activists struck again in the posh district of Döbling. As the police confirmed to the "Krone" on request, twelve drivers filed charges against unknown persons on Friday.

The activists let the air out of the tires in a night and fog operation.(Bild: Tyre Extinguishers)

"Your gas guzzler is deadly"
The tires of twelve cars - four in Felix-Dahn-Straße, five in Peter-Jordan-Straße and three in Hartäckerstraße - were deflated and a flyer was left behind the windscreen wiper. "Your gas guzzler is deadly," it reads. And further: "We have let the air out of one or more of your tires." While the group probably not only wanted to spread their ideas by leaving the leaflets, but also to avoid dangerous incidents, there were still near-accidents of this kind. 

A total of twelve vehicles in the 19th district each had one tire deflated. Leaflets were left on the windscreens of all the vehicles - they were confiscated.

Polizeisprecherin Anna Gutt auf „Krone“-Anfrage

Pregnant woman and toddler almost hit oncoming traffic
For example Manuel B. (name changed). The father of a family posted a photo and vented his anger. He understands the concerns of climate activists, B. told "Krone". Nevertheless, he did not read the note at first. When his wife - who is eight months pregnant - wanted to take their three-year-old daughter to kindergarten, she drove into oncoming traffic. She was able to avoid an accident, but the rim and wheel arch were damaged. It's hard to imagine what could have happened. 

Group repeatedly active in Vienna and Lower Austria
Not the first dangerous incident after air was let out of car tires in Vienna. In December 2022, a man from Döbling lost control of his car and rammed a pedestrian into a wall. In November 2024, almost 100 cars were affected in Hernals. The drivers of around 80 cars were also apparently hit in Wiener Neustadt (Lower Austria) in January 2024. The group itself usually proudly posts the dangerous actions on social media. It is still unclear who is behind it.