Hundreds of Italians joined on Thursday a peace march in Rome, organized by the families of three Italian hostages held in Iraq.

Demonstrators hope the late afternoon march will persuade the Iraqi kidnappers to release their prisoners but Italian politicians fear that the march might send the wrong message.

The kidnappers have promised to release the hostages if there are mass protests in Rome against the presence of Italian troops in Iraq and against the pro-US stance of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Large numbers of Green MPs joined the march, including party leader Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, but they shunned all party symbols and marched beneath peace banners.

"This is a humanitarian initiative organized by the families of the hostages," said Pecoraro Scanio, whose party was firmly against the war on Iraq and the deployment of the almost 3,000 Italian troops now serving there.

Several high-profile members of the Democratic Left (DS), the largest opposition party, were also present, including DS Senate Whip Gavino Angius.

"I am here as an Italian citizen," he said.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the government "respected the decisions of the hostages' families but that "it is our duty to continue to work hard for the hostages' release."

After the march, Berlusconi received the families of the hostages at his office.

Four Italians were kidnapped more than two weeks ago by an Iraqi insurgent group calling itself the Green Phalanges of Mohamed. One of the hostages was killed two days after the abduction, when the government refused the group's demand to withdraw Italian troops from Iraq.

Source: Xinhua