BART admits halting cell service to stop protesters

BART admits halting cell service to stop protesters

Michael Cabanatuan, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, August 12, 2011


(08-12) 14:49 PDT Oakland --

BART officials acknowledged this afternoon that they shut down cell phone and wireless data service in its downtown San Francisco stations to disrupt a planned protest. Their announcement sparked denunciations from civil libertarians and the apparent threat of a cyber-attack on the BART website.

A statement posted on the transit agency's website said the communications blackout was ordered in the interest of public safety:

"Organizers planning to disrupt BART service on August 11, 2011 stated they would use mobile devices to coordinate their disruptive activities and communicate about the location and number of BART Police," the statement reads.

"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."

BART did not immediately offer details of how the shutdown took place, how long it lasted or what stations were affected.

BART warned Thursday that groups planned surprise protests of the fatal July 3 shooting of a knife-wielding man, Charles Blair Hill, on the platform at Civic Center Station. BART Police said they learned that the groups planned to coordinate their protests using cell phones and text messages, and that they planned to block trains and disrupt service.

Civil libertarians and people concerned about passenger safety objected to the cell service shutdown. BART officials said they stationed additional personnel in downtown stations and on trains in case of emergencies. They also said their prime concern was protecting the safety of BART riders, employees and protesters.

According to posts on Twitter, the civil disobedience group Anonymous, which has coordinated a number of denial of service attacks, was threatening to come after BART.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/12/BAEU1KMS8U.DTL#ixzz1UtFtwcnj