Protest support site Fitwatch back up after Met closure

Fitwatch, a website that gives protesters advice on how to counteract police surveillance methods, is back online after being taken down by the Metropolitan Police.

The website had been taken offline on Monday by its host, JustHost.com, following a letter from the Met. According to Fitwatch's organisers, the police did not have a court order to have the site taken down. On Wednesday, the site was back up, with a blog post thanking the police for the publicity they had given to Fitwatch.

"Thanks to the Metropolitan Police for giving us such huge publicity and making us even stronger," the post read. "See you on the streets."

Fitwatch's temporary closure had been sparked by a post in which the site gave advice to protesters being sought by the police after the Millbank riot on 10 November, in which students protesting against massive fee increases caused damage to the building that houses the Conservative Party's headquarters. According to the post on Wednesday, more than 100 sites are now carrying the same post in solidarity with Fitwatch.

"Through totally underestimating the power of social media, this pathetic attempt [to shut the site down] has failed miserably," the post read. "Within minutes of networking what had happened, people were re-publishing the post anywhere and everywhere... We have been overwhelmed by the support and solidarity and send massive thanks to everyone who's offered to help and reposted the information.

"This was a real attempt to squash dissent and criticism of the police, as well as attempting to stifle common sense advice to protesters subject to a witch hunt by the right wing press."