Bay Area transit operator cuts cell service to thwart protest, activists abandon cause for Angry Birds

It looks like not even good old civil disobedience can survive without decent reception these days. In a seemingly successful attempt to shut down a protest of BART — the Bay Area’s answer to a subway system — operators pulled the plug on cell service to multiple train stations, leaving would-be activists without a major organizing tool. The demonstration would have been the second in as many months in response to the shooting of a man by transit police. Officials had this to say in defense of the disruption: A civil disturbance during commute times at busy downtown San Francisco stations could lead to platform overcrowding and unsafe conditions for BART customers, employees and demonstrators. BART temporarily interrupted service at select BART stations as one of many tactics to ensure the safety of everyone on the platform. That didn’t seem to sit well with some, as the cutoff has lead to a campaign by hackers, comparing the system to former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who disconnected the country’s internet during its recent revolution. It may have a ring to it, but muBARTek does seem a little much, don’t you think? Bay Area transit operator cuts cell service to thwart protest, activists abandon cause for Angry Birds originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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