Internet shutdowns, barricades and Twitter bans - how the Indian Government is trying to stop a farmers' protest

Last week, months-long protests over controversial agriculture reforms in India turned deadly. One protester died, 300 police officers were injured, and over 200 protesters were detained. This week, the Indian government responded by cutting off the internet, a move human rights activists and protesters have labelled undemocratic.

In the 1960s, the Indian Government guaranteed prices for certain crops as a way to encourage farmers to produce more food. That system, which remained in place until these new laws passed last year, led to the government having a big hand in agriculture - most crops, for instance, were sold in government-sanctioned marketplaces. Farmers fear the new laws will give corporations more power to buy their goods for cheap, leaving some of the poorest people in India with less income.

How is the Indian Government responding?

Delhi Police shut down the internet, affecting 52 million mobile phone users. India, the world-leader in internet shutdowns, has used this tactic before to quell protests.

The Indian Government reportedly sent a legal notice to Twitter, which led to the social media giant temporarily blocking several accounts belonging to farmers, activists and media organisations reporting on the protests.

During last week's protests, eight working journalists were detained, according to Human Rights Watch.

"Indian authorities like to boast of the country’s democracy and pluralism. But their actions all too often belie their words." - Human Rights Watch.

So what happens next?

Thousands of protesters remain camped at several protest sites in and around India's capital, Delhi. Police are barricading Delhi's borders with kilometres of new stone walls and barbed wire ahead of plans from protesters to block highways leading into the capital on Saturday.