In Iraq, hundreds of Iraqi Christians have taken part in protests calling for government action after a spate of killings. At least eight Christians have been killed in the past two weeks in the volatile northern city of Mosul. The killings prompted an appeal by Pope Benedict yesterday for Iraqi authorities to protect vulnerable religious minorities. The United Nations says more than 680 Christian families have fled Mosul since the recent attacks. Yesterday's protests took place in the town of Hamdaniyah, 35 kilometres east of Mosul and also in the capital Baghdad. The recent killings were only the latest in a list of violent attacks on Christians in Iraq. In 2004, five Christian churches in Baghdad were bombed.