London cops switch off wifi in the tube to make it harder for climate protesters to organise

This morning, the British Transport Police has ordered Virgin Media to switch off the wifi to some undisclosed London Underground stations in a bid to make it harder for climate protesters to organise their activities.

It's an echo of 2011's shut-down of cellular service in BART stations to deter protests over an incident in which transit police murdered a Black man.

London's climate protesters are organised under the banner of Extinction Rebellion (previously), one of the world's most effective and important climate change action groups. 300 Extinction Rebellion protesters have been arrested in London this week, as they have shut down "main roads, bridges, and Tube stations." Extinction Rebellion's demands include zero emissions by 2025.

"In the interests of safety and to prevent and deter serious disruption to the London Underground network, British Transport Police has taken the decision to restrict passenger Wi-Fi connectivity at Tube stations," a British Transport Police spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge. "This follows intelligence that Extinction Rebellion protesters intend to cause disruption to Tube services during Wednesday 17 April."

UK police shut off Wi-Fi in London Tube stations to deter climate protestors [James Vincent/The Verge]

(Image: Extinction Rebellion)