Chinese Web Users Hail Google With Flowers

Some plead for firm to stay
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 14, 2010 5:22 AM CST
Chinese Web Users Hail Google With Flowers
Flowers presented by Chinese Google users are seen on its sign outside the Google China headquarters in Beijing.   (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Chinese web users risked the wrath of the authorities by laying flowers outside Google's offices in Beijing and other cities yesterday. Some users expressed shock and disappointment over the company's threat to quit the country over cyberattacks on human rights activists, the Wall Street Journal reports. Others hailed the company's stance against censorship. One note attached to a bouquet of flowers read: "Google: a real man."

"I am not necessarily a die hard fan of Google, but I want to show respect for the fact that Google refused to censor," said one Beijing resident bearing flowers. Security at the science park that houses Google's Beijing offices has declared the campaign an "illegal flower donation," and was kept busy yesterday removing bouquets from the steady stream of visitors.
(More Google stories.)

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