Democracy in bloom as Rose Revolution inspires others

SINCE Georgia’s November 2003 Rose Revolution against Eduard Schvardnadze’s government, a series of other former Soviet governments have fallen after popular revolutions, often with the backing of the US and other Western nations.

Thousands of people, led by Mikhail Saakashvilli, took to the streets to protest against the results of a flawed parliamentary election.

They adopted the rose as their symbol, handing out thousands of the flowers even though the flowers are not normally available during the Georgian winter.