Activists, dubbed ‘Blade Runners’, have been caught on video sabotaging Ulez cameras in London. The secretive group claim to have taken down hundreds of low-emission monitors across the capital. The Mail has the story.
A ‘Blade Runner’ was seen sabotaging two of Sadiq Khan’s much-hated Ulez cameras as nearby diners nonchalantly watched on.
A member from the secret activist group can be seen in a video purposefully walking into view and hoisting what appears to be a tree lopper in the air.
The hooded masked figure then strolls towards the Ulez camera attached to a traffic light believed to be outside The Swan and Mitre Greene King pub in Bromley, South East London, and snips the cable.
One woman smoking a cigarette looks around at the dark-clothed figure before carrying on with her conversation, while a bearded man with sunglasses on his head films the vandalism on his phone. …
Bromley is part of the area where the Ulez will soon expand with its local authority one of the coalition of councils who unsuccessfully challenged Mr. Khan’s plans in the High Court.
It comes amid a campaign of anti-Ulez action from the secretive group, who have targeted cameras elsewhere in London.
The Blade Runners vowed back in July they would stop at nothing until they had taken down every single one of the Ulez cameras.
That month an onlooker filmed a man calmly unscrewing one of the cameras as the hatred of the Mayor of London’s low emission scheme began to grow as the expansion date drew nearer.
A month later a Blade Runner climbed a lamp post and used a drill to tear down an enforcement camera in Bromley. …
Since April the covert group has been stealing and vandalising the Mayor of London’s Ulez cameras ahead of the zone being expanded.
The group has been attacking ANPR cameras that catch out drivers using high-polluting vehicles across the capital.
The London Mayor’s controversial scheme will force Londoners to pay £12.50 a day to drive in Greater London from August 29th, if their cars don’t meet certain environmental standards.
One of the secretive Blade Runners met with MailOnline and vowed: “We are going to take down every single one no matter what.”
Dressed in a balaclava to protect his identity, the father in his mid-forties revealed he had stolen 34 Ulez cameras himself but his group and others like them have taken down hundreds.
He told MailOnline: “In terms of damage, it’s way more than what [Khan and TfL] have stated. It’s at least a couple of hundred.” …
As of March 21st, 2023, the Mayor’s office said there were 43 instances of vandalism or theft to Ulez cameras.
That number increased to 200 by July and sparked Mr. Khan to threaten to use mobile cameras.
TfL said it would no longer provide details on just how many cameras were being vandalised, as there is “danger of inadvertently giving [vandals] the oxygen of publicity,” Mr. Khan said.
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