ANTI-ULEZ protesters clashed with police today as the controversial £12.50 charge was rolled out across the whole of London.
Shocking video showed a man in a high-vis jacket dragged to the floor by cops outside Downing Street as tensions hit boiling point.
NewsflareAnti-ULEZ protesters clashed with police as the controversial £12.50 charge was rolled out across the whole of London[/caption]
NewsflareShocking video showed a man in a high-vis jacket dragged to the floor by cops outside Downing Street[/caption]
ULEZ has expanded to all 32 London Boroughs
He scuffled with officers before being shoved into the crowd in ugly scenes as thousands protested the new road laws.
It came amid a day of rage as Londoners cut down ULEZ cameras as Mayor Sadiq Khan’s project expanded to all 32 boroughs.
Devices were vandalised in South and West London, while some drivers taped up their registration plates to avoid detection.
Meanwhile, camera poles were toppled and had cardboard boxes placed next to them emblazoned with ‘No to ULEZ’.
In Hillingdon, West London, one witness who saw the remains trashed ULEZ camera pole said: “So happy to see this in our beautiful green Hillingdon village!
“The air is clean here so he can F off…”
Other cameras were covered with stickers and their lenses spray-painted, rendering them useless.
From Tuesday, any vehicle which does not comply with ULEZ standards will be smacked with a daily £12.50 charge.
As a general rule, most petrol cars made before 2006 and Diesel cars produced before 2015 will have to pay the ULEZ charge.
So far most of the 2,750 ULEZ cameras have been installed – despite hundreds being damaged by vigilante groups who are targeting the cameras being put up around London.
One member told the MailOnline: “We are going to take down every single one no matter what.”
The man, a dad in his mid-forties who has not been identified, claimed he had stolen 34 ULEZ cameras personally and the group he belongs to, as well as similar groups, had taken down hundreds.
He said: “Snipping, damaging with hammers, painting, disabling on a circuit level and removing. They are unbolted and they are snipped.”
He added: “We don’t want this. It’s a way to try to… restrict our movements.
“F**k them. It will not happen because we haven’t done anything to deserve it.”
Transport for London (TfL) said vandalism was “unacceptable” and “all incidents are reported to the police for investigation”.
However the Met Police’s press office said it was not aware of any specific offences.
ULEZ is expected to cost taxpayers £140 million.
Sadiq Khan stood by today’s ULEZ expansion as he said the scheme will “prevent premature deaths” – this has been disputed.
He told Times Radio: “The policy to clean the air in London is not anti-car or anti-motorist.
“The good news is actually nine out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London on an average day are already compliant.
“But I accept there are a small number of cars that will be affected, they are non-compliant cars.”
RAC spokesperson Simon Williams said councils opposing the London Mayor’s could prove fruitless.
He told BBC London: “I think the councils who are contesting or battling the mayor of London probably need to just give in and give drivers a little bit of advance warning.”
SWNSSome cameras had their lenses spray-painted, rendering them useless[/caption]
GettySadiq Khan stood by today’s ULEZ expansion as he said the scheme will ‘prevent premature deaths’[/caption]
Camera poles were toppled and had cardboard boxes placed next to them emblazoned with ‘No to ULEZ’Facebook/Triangle News
Facebook/Triangle NewsProtesters smashed up ULEZ control boxes amid a day of rage[/caption]