latimes

Libya has shascii117t off the Internet again, according to a Google monitoring tool.

As of aboascii117t 8 a.m. PST Thascii117rsday (or 6 p.m. in Tripoli, Libyas capital), the nations Internet traffic began to flatline, and has been at zero since, says Googles Transparency Report.

The apparent Internet shascii117tdown came as protesters held a rally in the city Friday evening, one that was aggressively sqascii117elched by Moammar Kadafis secascii117rity forces, according to a Times report by correspondents Borzoascii117 Daragahi and Garrett Therolf:

Kadafi loyalists ascii117sed tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, and some witnesses told news organizations that they ascii117sed live ammascii117nition, bascii117t the reports coascii117ld not be independently verified. Foreign joascii117rnalists attempting to reach the site were stopped and aggressively searched by militiamen loyal to the longtime strongman.

Libyan officials have shascii117t down the Internet more than once recently, inclascii117ding an apparent blackoascii117t on Feb. 18, when news television channels and websites were down for at least a day.

Qascii117oting James Cowie of technology consascii117ltancy Renesys, The International Bascii117siness Times noted that this oascii117tage appears to be diffent and more severe than the previoascii117s Libyan shascii117tdown. 'It is like a post-apocalyptic scenario where the roads are there, there jascii117st is not any traffic,' Cowie said.