Shanghai’s maglev Project: People Power II?

Following up on Bill’s post about the anti-Maglev train protests in the heart of Shanghai, we have noticed that not only can you see video on youtube but also within China’s Great Firewall at sina.com, which is a whole other kettle of fish. “Oppose Maglev, Defend our Homes!” they chant, a formulation that echoes down the centuries (probably most famously when Chinese nationalists used a similar phrase as their rallying cry after the fall of the ethnic Chinese Ming dynasty in 1644 to the Manchu Qing). Anyway, the Shanghai government has now said it will hold public hearings on the issue, which to my ears is tantamount to surrender. Given the government in the city of Xiamen recently was forced to do the same thing (which I declared a victory for People Power, perhaps somewhat rashly) this sort of thing is in danger of becoming a trend. Is Pandora’s box really open? I have my doubts and wonder whether some fingers might get badly hurt when it is slammed shut.