A claim spanning four London areas
Big Issue reported on 8 April 2022 that climate group Last Gasp said it had released air from tyres on more than 50 SUVs. The locations named were Kensington and Chelsea, Belgravia, Clapham and Islington.
The total came from the activists. The article text says more than 50 while an image caption says around 50, so the figure should remain approximate and attributed rather than presented as an independently verified count.
The group’s stated rationale
Last Gasp framed the action as a protest about emissions, air pollution and climate change. Satirical parking-style notices were left on vehicles to explain the message.
The article connected the event with a wider period of UK climate demonstrations and cited an estimate that the wealthiest tenth of households account for a disproportionately large share of consumption-based emissions.
Claims about damage remain unverified
The group said it caused no vehicle damage. Big Issue did not provide independent confirmation of that claim, and the report did not set out a police assessment or later case outcome.
The action can be described without reproducing operational detail. What matters for the report is the deliberate interference with parked vehicles, the political statement left behind and the uncertainty around scale and consequence.
A distinct event and organisation
This was a 2022 action attributed to Last Gasp. It should not be conflated with the 2024 Islington incident linked through leaflets to Tyre Extinguishers or with the 2026 Charlottenburg action claimed by Widerstands-Kollektiv.
Keeping those identities and dates distinct is central to responsible attribution. The supported conclusion is limited: Last Gasp claimed a multi-area protest involving more than 50 SUVs, and Big Issue reported its stated environmental rationale.
Source note
Based on Greg Barradale’s Big Issue report published on 8 April 2022; the group’s total and no-damage claim were not independently confirmed in the article.