NUS student fined for putting green beans into car tyre valves to deflate them

He said in his mitigation plea that Chia is in his final year of a Physics undergraduate programme at NUS. He added that Chia was a model student, consistently doing well academically.

An elective in August 2024, presenting a critical view of a country’s environmental history and teaching that individual actions like recycling were not enough to meaningfully address the climate crisis, left a lasting impression on Chia, wrote the defence.

The incident occurred during the university’s official “reading week”, a one-week break prior to examinations and when there were no formal classes or structured activities.

Feeling unoccupied and emotionally unsettled due to the absence of routine, as well as the examination stress, and influenced by the ideas from the module, Chia began researching alternative forms of environmental action online.

He came across the “Tyre Extinguishers” website, which described SUVs as dangerous and potentially harmful, encouraging its readers to take action. 

It also provided step-by-step instructions on how to deflate SUV tyres using a small bean and included downloadable leaflets to be placed on affected vehicles, said Mr Anil.

Chia believed this conduct to be “non-violent and not unlawful”, said the lawyer.