Pope, Italian officials blasted at rally

Published: July 9, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Order reprints
ROME, July 9 (UPI) -- An Italian lawmaker said he was sorry after comedians performing at a Rome rally he sponsored provoked ire by attacking the pope and political figures.

Italy of Values opposition leader Antonio Di Pietro apologized Wednesday for remarks by comics Beppe Grillo and Sabina Guzzanti at a rally he held to protest government justice policy, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

ANSA said Guzzanti caused the most consternation at the Tuesday rally by attacking Pope Benedict XVI, saying, "In 20 years he'll be dead and he'll go to hell to be tormented by two gay devils."

Grillo, meanwhile, attacked Italian President Giorgio Napolitano for approving a measure that would give legal immunity to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, finishing his set by telling the president to "(expletive) off."

"Italy of Values as a whole and I personally disassociate with the unjust, unjustified and out-of-place comments expressed about the Pope and the president of the republic," Di Pietro told ANSA.


© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.



The almanac (11 min)
Panetta: Congress not told of CIA program
Biden goes on the road to defend stimulus
The two-edged sword of online games
Rio Tinto employees face spy charges
Ghana prepared to greet Obama
ATVs aren't toys, parents should supervise
fark
NY Times thinks their website users would pay five bucks per month. Listen, for the last time, no...
Fewer calories allow monkeys to live longer. Good thing you're not a monkey
"Resident found out it's not OK to shoot raccoons and gerbils...He told police that he and his neighbors...
Thousands homeless after China Quake. Quisp unavailable for comment
Ugly-ass okapi born at Denver Zoo. In fact, "okapi" means "ugly-ass" in Swahili
If you find a live grenade in your newly purchased vehicle, you probably shouldn't wait a month...