diff --git a/book/_toc.yml b/book/_toc.yml
index 10f519a..88a3ecb 100644
--- a/book/_toc.yml
+++ b/book/_toc.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ parts:
     chapters:
     - file: some_content/overview.md
       sections:
-      - file: some_content/text_and_code.ipynb
+      # DEC 14, 2024: REINSTATE THE COMMENTED PAGE ONCE GITLAB.TUDELFT.NL IS BACK ONLINE
+      # - file: some_content/text_and_code.ipynb
+      - file: some_content/text_and_code_gitlab_down.ipynb
+      # END OF DEC 14, 2024 OUTAGE COMMENT
     - file: exercises/exercises
       sections:
       - file: exercises/001.md
diff --git a/book/some_content/text_and_code_gitlab_down.ipynb b/book/some_content/text_and_code_gitlab_down.ipynb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf94cf7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/book/some_content/text_and_code_gitlab_down.ipynb
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+{
+ "cells": [
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "# Text and code\n",
+    "\n",
+    "```{error}\n",
+    "The interactive Python feature has been temporarily removed from the TeachBooks Template Book because of a system outage at TU Delft's GitLab repository.\n",
+    "\n",
+    "This outage affects: 1) new books that are created from the TeachBooks Template, and 2) exising books that are _modified_ while TU Delft GitLab is down.\n",
+    "\n",
+    "To see what this page would look like when there is _not_ an outage, you can [visit this book which was created beforehand](https://rlanzafame.github.io/my-first-book/main/some_content/text_and_code.html).\n",
+    "\n",
+    "**Did you make a book using this template while the website was down?**\n",
+    "\n",
+    "Check whether TU Delft GitLab is live again by visiting [this link](https://gitlab.tudelft.nl/). If it is, you can restore the interactive Python feature to your book by following the one of the two approaches below.\n",
+    "\n",
+    "- **Option 1:** Create a new book using the template, following the instructions at [github.com/teachbooks/template](https://github.com/teachbooks/template).\n",
+    "- **Option 2:** Replace this page in the table of contents file (`_toc.yml`) with the file `text_and_code.ipynb`, then uncomment the lines in the config file (`_config.yml`) that are related to the interactive Python feature. Commit the changes in the GitHub repository of your book, and the GitHub Actions workflow should take care of the rest!\n",
+    "```"
+   ]
+  }
+ ],
+ "metadata": {
+  "kernelspec": {
+   "display_name": "base",
+   "language": "python",
+   "name": "python3"
+  },
+  "language_info": {
+   "codemirror_mode": {
+    "name": "ipython",
+    "version": 3
+   },
+   "file_extension": ".py",
+   "mimetype": "text/x-python",
+   "name": "python",
+   "nbconvert_exporter": "python",
+   "pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
+   "version": "3.9.18"
+  }
+ },
+ "nbformat": 4,
+ "nbformat_minor": 2
+}
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 849cdf4..3f3ef09 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ jupyterbook-patches
 sphinx-image-inverter
 download_link_replacer
 
-# now list the packages (and the respective url) you wish to download from the GitLab package registry
---extra-index-url https://gitlab.tudelft.nl/api/v4/projects/11239/packages/pypi/simple
-sphinx-thebe ~= 0.9.9
+# DEC 14, 2024: THESE LINES ARE TEMPORARILY TAKEN OUT BECAUSE GITLAB.TUDELFT.NL IS DOWN
+# # now list the packages (and the respective url) you wish to download from the GitLab package registry
+# --extra-index-url https://gitlab.tudelft.nl/api/v4/projects/11239/packages/pypi/simple
+# sphinx-thebe ~= 0.9.9
+# END PART REMOVED DEC 14, 2024