Italians March on Vatican in Hostage Plea

Thousands yesterday marched to St Peter's Square in a attempt to save the lives of three Italians being held hostage in Iraq.

But most of Italy's leading politicians steered clear of a demonstration called by the captives' relatives after their kidnappers demanded a protest against Italy's military presence in Iraq.

Holding rainbow peace banners, the demonstrators marched to the Vatican from the former papal stronghold of Castel Sant'Angelo. Pope John Paul II did not, as had been speculated, appear before the crowd.

But, in a message read out by the Vatican's "foreign minister", Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, he appealed for the captives' release. "In the name of the one God, who will judge us all, John Paul II renews to the kidnappers his pressing appeal to allow the hostages to return to their families," the archbishop said.

Already, one of the four men seized earlier this month has been killed by his captors. The three others, Maurizio Agliana, aged 35, Umberto Cupertino, 35, and Salvatore Stefio, 34, were last seen in a video broadcast by al-Arabiya television on Monday.

The video also carried a threat by the kidnappers to kill the three security workers unless Italians took to the streets in protest at their country's involvement in Iraq. They set a five-day deadline.

The relatives stressed that yesterday's march was called in support of peace rather than against the government. Among those who took part was the Nobel winning playwright and actor, Dario Fo.

The leader of the centre-left opposition, Francesco Rutelli, said: "Politicians have a duty to stay out because otherwise they would be responding to the appeal of the kidnappers."

Although most marchers avoided political messages, some waved controversial banners. One said: "With the Resistance in Iraq, for the Intifada in Palestine."