Okay I was totally overwhelmed when a friend told me a few hours ago that he was shot. It wasn't yet confirmed that he was dead, so I was like "Damn, I hope they can help him..." Well minutes later we heard on the news that he indeed was dead, so I checked the CNN homepage to post the article:
Dutch rightist Fortuyn shot dead May 6, 2002 Posted: 1:53 PM EDT (1753 GMT) AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (CNN) -- Maverick Dutch right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn has been shot dead, police have told CNN. 
Fortuyn has sparked controversy in The Netherlands with his far-right views
Fortuyn, 54, was shot in the head at least three times at close range as he was going to a Dutch national radio station in Hilversum, the Associated Press reported.
Opinion polls had shown that Fortuyn and his Pim Fortuyn's List party, running on an anti-immigration platform, were scheduled to win a large block in the country's parliament in May 15 elections.
A man who was believed to have been carrying a gun is reported to have been arrested outside the Media Park in Hilversum, 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Amsterdam.
Journalist Sander Van Hoorn told CNN: "Fortuyn was shot in the head, just behind his left ear, and in his neck and chest.
"Police have been searching for a single gunman, who was wearing a baseball cap. A police helicopter joined the search.
"People witnessed the gunman open fire and four people are reported to have chased after him."
Fortuyn's rise mirrors a right-wing resurgence in several European countries, lately highlighted by the far right-winger Jean Marie Le Pen's surprise showing in the first round of French presidential elections. Le Pen was soundly defeated in Sunday's run-off vote by incumbent Jacques Chirac.
CNN's European political editor Robin Oakley, who was in the Netherlands on his way to interview the politician, said: "Fortuyn was part of a new wave of Dutch politicians. He ran on an anti-immigration platform, but insisted he was not like Le Pen.
"He said he wanted nothing to do with Le Pen, but said the Netherlands was 'full up' with 16 million people. Although he said he did not want to deport immigrants, he was critical of Muslims for not joining in Dutch life, and wanted to restrict benefits to people who can speak Dutch.
"His party Leefbaar Nederland won over 30 % of votes in Rotterdam elections and it could have been the third or fourth biggest party in general elections next month.
"If the right toppled the socialists, Fortuyn could have become part of the coalition government."
Oakley said that Fortuyn was a former Marxist and sociology professor and newspaper columnist and was 'out of the staid style of Dutch politics. He was homosexual and drove around in a car with blacked out windows'.
Fortuyn's platform seemed out of place in the Netherlands, which has a reputation for liberalism.
It was the first country to legalise gay marriages, regulate prostitution, approve and control euthanasia, and tolerate the over-the-counter sale of marijuana in hundreds of "coffee shops."
Though tolerant of such subcultures, Fortuyn's popularity has exposed a deep vein of suspicion of immigrants in Europe's most densely populated country, about two million of whose 16 million people are not native Dutch. About 800,000 are Muslims.
He was founder of Leefbaar Nederland, which stunned the Netherlands in March when it won 35 percent of the vote for city council seats in Rotterdam, the second-largest city, The Associated Press reports.
Fortuyn advocates a ban on immigration and has criticised Islam as a "backward culture."
Although he no longer leads the party, polls project that it could win 24 seats in the 150-member parliament in May 15 national elections
Emergency workers attempted to revive Fortuyn after the shooting
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Rest In Peace, Pim. Many disagreed with you, many agreed. But needless to say, this should have never happened. This prooves once again that we are living in a pretty fucked up world. And since it is a political murder, it's gonna stay pretty fucked up for my country for quite a while...
Dutch rightist Fortuyn shot DEAD! 
Re: Dutch rightist Fortuyn shot DEAD! 
