Paris, Oct 20, (dpa/GNA) – Following the death of a cyclist who was run over by an SUV in Paris, activists in the southern French city of Toulouse, let the air out of the tyres of 65 SUVs overnight, as a form of protest.
SUVs are said to be the enemy of pedestrians and cyclists, because they are much wider and heavier, and cause more fatal accidents than regular cars, the newspaper Libération cited the organization “No SUV Tolosa” as saying.
They stated that cities are not designed for such large vehicles, and people must be discouraged from buying these cars, which are true “climate bombs.”
In Paris and other major French cities, there were protest actions over the weekend to commemorate the cyclist Paul Varry, 27, who was run over in Paris on Tuesday. The French cyclists’ association, among others, had called for the protests, demanding greater safety for cyclists on the roads.
The Paris prosecutor’s office is investigating the 52-year-old driver of the SUV, on suspicion of murder, as he is alleged to have intentionally run over the cyclist on Tuesday, after an argument. Investigators are relying on CCTV footage and witness statements.
In an attempt to move faster through traffic, the SUV driver had reportedly already driven 200 metres along a cycle lane, when he rolled over the foot of the 27-year-old. When the cyclist struck the bonnet of the car, the driver initially reversed but then steered the car towards the cyclist, as the latter attempted to hold him to account.
The driver is in custody. His lawyer stated that the man did not intend to kill the cyclist. It is claimed that he may have lost control of his vehicle during the altercation.
The activists in Toulouse argue that for many people, purchasing an SUV is a matter of status and an expression of a masculine attitude.
“It was this masculine attitude that cost Paul Varry his life. An SUV driver, affected in his ego, unable to control his emotions, preferring to run over a cyclist and traumatize his own daughter in the vehicle, rather than listen to the cyclist’s criticism and question himself.”
GNA