Muni has shut down the tourist-heavy Powell Street cable car lines in anticipation of protests over the fatal officer-involved shooting of a man in the Bayview district on Saturday.

As of 4 p.m., regular service on the Powell Street portion of the Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines has been replaced by bus shuttles for the evening service. The closure is only a precautionary measure to address reports by the San Francisco Police Department of possible demonstrations in the area, according to Municipal Transportation Agency spokesman Paul Rose.

In the meantime, bus shuttles are providing substitute service on Powell Street between Market Street and Washington, Rose said.

Kenneth Harding, 19, of Seattle was killed while fleeing from two cops conducting a Muni fare inspection near the Third Street and Oakdale Avenue stop. One protest is already gathering at Dolores Park.

bbegin@sfexaminer.com