THIRTY PERCENT MORE PARTICIPANTS THAN EXPECTED AT WYD

VATICAN CITY, AUG 15, 2000 (VIS) - According to the organizers, the first 24 hours of World Youth Day have seen the arrival of 30 percent more participants than expected. Today, in the square of St. John Lateran and in St. Peter's Square, along the papal route and in the streets of the city center, there were more than 600,000 young people.

The majority of the 2,741 places of accommodation are already full. Many groups are arriving in Rome without prior notice and are being directed by the reception organization to schools and parishes in the city.

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