ANTI-ULEZ protestors have struck again as one of their latest targets saw vandals use a blowtorch to destroy a camera’s lens.
Supposedly filmed yesterday, vandals struck a camera in London, where the controversial Ultra Low Emission Zone measures have been met with heavy resistance in recent months by a group calling themselves the Blade Runners.
The attack saw a group of men getting creative with their destruction by lifting a lit blowtorch attached to a long metal pole to the top of the camera and incinerating the lens.
Video shows the group performing the vandalism whilst one unidentified man behind the camera commentates and taunts London officials with their actions.
Committing the crime in broad daylight, the small blowtorch is set alight and seemingly zip-tied to the end of a thin metal pole, before being lifted level with the black camera.
To the side of the camera is a sign apparently being held up by another protestor, which reads: “Stop ULEZ.”
Using the blowtorch, the bloke holding the pole gradually begins to burn away the glass pane of the camera.
Behind the camera, the man says: “Have some of that. Frying, the fire guy’s frying some ULEZ. Bit of breakfast – fried ULEZ for breakfast. On a flagpole, have some of that.”
The blowtorch operator continues to slowly hover the torch back and forth across the camera, blackening and charring the glass.
The lens of the camera is soon rendered unusable as the blowtorch leaves extensive damage and blackened spots across the glass.
The blowtorch operator then lowers the torch back down, seemingly satisfied with his work as a small fire on the glass quickly burns out.
The electrical cords on the camera also appear to have been cut as the protesters all but destroy the traffic tracking unit.
The commentator, clearly taking joy in their vandalism, continues: “Oh dear. Oh, deary me. Look at the state of this folks.
“Look at that – charred up, fire guy on the case. Unlucky Mr Khan, there’s another one – and the cable’s cut, gutted for you.”
The footage was shared to social media yesterday with the caption: “Who would do such a thing? Literally chargrilling a ULEZ camera? Oh well.”
The clip has since received over 4,900 likes and more than 370 comments from social media users who appeared to encourage the vandalism.
One user said: “Great idea – take back your freedoms which have been stolen from you.”
Another added: “The mayor is trying to cover it up, but he is having to dig up/replace/repair hundreds of cameras and cabinets every week.
“His ULEZ has been a complete failure, and he can’t even release a post ULEZ pollution report, because pollution has increased. A colossal waste by Khan.”
A third wrote: “Moral of the story – always ask the people first. Politicians don’t seem to understand this. It’s called the will of the people. Watch and learn.”
Another replied: “Don’t go moaning when council tax goes up to pay for all the damaged ULEZ cameras.”
