If you have any doubt as to the power of the web, try this for size.

Campaign aims to rid Forbidden City of Starbucks
One of the most incongruous sights of the globalised age -- the Starbucks coffee shop inside Beijing's Forbidden City -- could soon be a thing of the past after a furious online campaign.

In response to this demonstration of "netizen" power, the palace's guardians have announced plans to review the presence of the coffee shop. A decision will be made within six months, local media said.

Despite lowering its profile with the removal of its trademark signboards, the coffee shop faces stronger opposition than ever this week. The trigger was a blog entry posted on Monday by Rui Chenggang, a TV anchorman, who called for a web campaign against the outlet that he said "tramples over Chinese culture".

According to local media, half a million people have signed his online petition and dozens of newspapers have carried big stories about the controversy.

"The Starbucks was put here six years ago, but back then, we didn't have blogs. This campaign is living proof of the power of the web," said Rui.
full story from M&G here
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