Because they thought it was too ‘woke’ and wanted to burn the books.
FWIW you can download it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Database_download
Edit: Lots of good answers. When I ask the question I mean the main site. We would all have access to it. Hell I downloaded the text yesterday on two computers. I mean could the masses ever be denied access to wikipedia in the only form they are used to?
Yes, it’s possible. Any system built by people can be destroyed by people.
Now, of course, there would be a reaction. What specifically that would be I can’t say. I’d like to think it would cause serious blowback, but I’m also pretty jaded and don’t really have that much faith in people all the time.
Or more generally, anything that has a beginning has an end