Traffic lights have been around for decades, but they’ve been getting a lot of advanced technological upgrades that allow them to detect pedestrians or adjust to the flow of vehicle traffic. It’s the kind of upgrades that most communities would be grateful for, but in Devon County, England, they are apparently treated as a threat and even damaged by concerned citizens.
In a video shot by a passer-by in the town of Ilfracombe, a couple of people can be seen climbing a traffic light post and damaging the equipment by cutting a bunch of wires connected to advanced sensors. After the vide went viral on social media, it was revealed that the pair – a couple of pensioners aged in their 60s and 70s – were part of a group of conspiracy theorists known as Blade Runners.
In a number of posts shared online, the so-called “Ilfracombe Blade Runners” dispute the idea that modern traffic lights are designed to make urban life better, and instead claim that they are “electronic assault weapons” powered by “illegal battlefield-derived technology” that poses an “imminent threat to life” by causing a range of serious health problems, including heart attacks, brain cancer, anxiety and even sudden death.
According to Devon and Cornwall Police, the man and woman caught on video tampering with traffic lights in Ilfracombe caused thousands of pounds’ worth of damage and were arrested on charges of criminal damage and causing danger to road users. They have since been released on bail.
The incident follows several reports of damaged traffic lights associated with wild conspiracy theories circulating online. The Blade Runners, for example, claim that the technology in traffic lights can “kill humans when focusing on a target,” without providing any kind of evidence.
Despite the criticism they have been facing from many on social media, the Blade Runners have stated that they will never back down, describing themselves as “not woke” but “fully awake”.
