Dutch stunned by Fortuyn shooting

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands -- The Dutch have been mourning the death of the maverick and outspoken gay right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn.

Mourners are continuing to lay wreaths at the spot where Fortuyn was shot outside a radio station at Hilversum, 20 kilometres (12 miles) south-east of Amsterdam.

In his home base, the port city of Rotterdam, people have been queuing to sign a book of condolence.

Despite the politician's anti-immigration stance and criticisms of Islam, groups representing Muslim and immigrant communities say they also plan to lay flowers outside Fortuyn's opulent villa in Rotterdam to express their horror at his killing.

"All unanimously condemn the murder. It's horrible. It's awful. We condemn it," said the Forum Institute for Multicultural Development, which was organising a wreath-laying ceremony in multi-ethnic Rotterdam.

A growing carpet of flowers, candles and handwritten notes are being laid at the city hall as well as outside his home, while improvised green-and-white flags proclaiming "RIP Pim" hang beside Dutch national flags on railings.

CNN NewsPass VIDEO Dutch police arrest a suspect over the Fortuyn killing. CNN's Robin Oakley reports (May 7) Play video   YOUR SAY • Reaction: 'Bigger impact than Sept. 11'    EXTRA INFORMATION In-depth: Netherlands Decides 2002    MORE STORIES • Dutch election on despite murder  • Politicians lament Fortuyn's death  • Profile: Fortuyn - Man of paradox  • TIMELINE: Recent killings of politicians     QUICKVOTE Should the Dutch elections have been postponed following the shooting of Pim Fortuyn? Yes No View Results

Chief public prosecutor Theo Hofstee said a suspect currently being held in custody was calm and "in possession of his senses" when he was arrested shortly after the killing.

The man is due to appear in court on Wednesday when prosecutors will ask to extend his custody.

Rotterdam had been the scene of his biggest electoral success in March when Fortuyn's newly formed party, Pim Fortuyn's List, won 35 percent of the vote in local elections on a platform of anti-immigration.

Supporters of the 54-year-old former academic and columnist demonstrated in The Hague on Monday night, brandishing photos of Fortuyn and screaming abuse against a political establishment that some blamed for the murder.

Police, dressed in riot gear and using water canon, arrested several of the protesters after barricades were thrown at them, windows were smashed and several cars were set alight.

Leslie Gonggeyp, a lorry driver, told The Associated Press: "Pim was not an extremist. He wanted to do something for the working class to save us from taxes and do something for the normal people and not for the immigrants."

Drama student Alexei Genevois, told Reuters: "I'm an ordinary citizen who's deeply saddened by what's happened today. I feel like they killed my country today."

"This is an attack on democracy," said one Rotterdam woman. "They all killed him," she said of the media and politicians, Reuters reported.

The killing -- the first to be carried out against a politician in the modern history of the Netherlands -- has horrified many Dutch people.

Even those who were against his outspoken views were upset at the news.

"I am as saddened by the way Fortuyn died as I was about the things he said," Robert van Gast, 30, of Amsterdam told Reuters.

"The person who did this is no better than Fortuyn was."

Small groups of men of African -- mostly Moroccan -- origin shouted and celebrated Fortuyn's death, Rotterdam police were quoted by Reuters as saying.

Ymay Schilder, an art history student in the historic university city of Leiden, said: "This is what happens to people who preach hate. It kills them in one way or another."