Posted on 05/07/2002 10:15:21 AM PDT by NativeNewYorker
AMSTERDAM, May 7 (Reuters) - The suspected killer of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn is a vegan animal rights activist who declares on the Internet that "protecting animals is civilising people", a source close to Fortuyn's party said on Tuesday.
A 32-year-old man from the staunchly religious central Dutch town of Harderwijk is being held for Monday's shooting, and justice officials said bullets and environmentalist material were found during a search of his home.
The man, in custody but not identified by police, says on the Internet he is a member of a small, little-known animal welfare group fighting to stop the expansion of factory farming in a country which boasts a big intensive agriculture industry.
"Many animal protectors act from the assumption that 'nature is good', but every dark side of humans can also be found in nature," the suspected gunman writes on the Web.
"Protecting animals is civilising people, as they say."
He says his actions -- using legal procedures to fight permits for factory farms and fur farms -- stem from a belief that what happens to animals in factory farming is wrong, adding: "For the rest, I just act rationally, I don't have to be an animal friend to protect animals."
Fortuyn, who was openly gay and travelled by chauffeur-driven Daimler with two small lapdogs, was well known for his anti-immigration stance but had a less than fully rounded policy on agriculture.
"We don't have a very developed policy on animal rights. We were busy developing it," Joost Eerdmans, a candidate for Fortuyn's party in the May 15 general election, told Reuters.
FORTUYN "LOVED ANIMALS"
"(Fortuyn) had two dogs. They were his life since he didn't have a partner. He loved animals. There is no mistake about that," said Eerdmans.
Eerdmans said Fortuyn wanted to restructure the Dutch department of agriculture, making it more animal-friendly to help limit diseases such as BSE. He wanted to make farming less intensive.
Fortuyn had no 24-hour bodyguard -- he was unprotected when the gunman fired on him on Monday as he left a radio station after giving an interview -- but he made use of private security guards at his home and at some public events, colleagues said.
Fortuyn beefed up his security after a "pie" of faeces and vomit was hurled at him in March at a book presentation. Police said a group calling itself "The Bakery Brigade" claimed responsibility for that but nobody was arrested or charged.
Chief public prosecutor Theo Hofstee said on Tuesday a search of the suspect's home found "he was in possession of material that indicates involvement in environmental activism", though he said he made no link between that and the murder.
Hofstee told reporters the unnamed suspect was calm and "in possession of his senses" when he was arrested shortly after the killing around 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) on Monday.
The suspect made no statement, meaning officials had no clue as to possible motive, Hofstee said.
Though green issues were not high on Fortuyn's taboo-breaking agenda, the outspoken would-be premier lashed out late last year at Dutch environmental policy and activism.
"The whole environmental policy in the Netherlands has no substance any more. And I'm sick to death of your environmental movement," Fortuyn was quoted as telling established Dutch green organisation "Milieu Defensie" ("Environmental Defence").
Fortuyn beefed up his security ...Oh, those whacky journalists! : )
These animal rights extremists are often cold blooded, substituting their hate for humans and humanity for love of animals.
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People who are obsessed with this type of crap generally are obsessed with the entire array of the leftist agenda.
Exactly. The press will now lead us down a rathole to avoid the truth of the matter - that the Left and their accomplices in the press are entirely responsible for an alternative voice being silenced.
Here is what De Telegraaf sez about the suspect in the assassination. One of the other papers I know, NRC Handelsblad, referred to him as a 'milieu-activist'. Comes out in the translation is "environmental activist." Here is the Telegraaf text right now, what do you say?
"Verdachte kan nog tijdje vastzitten RIJSWIJK - De 32-jarige Volkert van der G. uit Harderwijk die wordt verdacht van de moord op Pim Fortuyn kan nog wel een tijdje vastzitten. Hieronder volgt een kort overzicht van de gerechtelijke procedure. Als de politie een verdachte inrekent, kan zij deze maximaal twaalf uur vasthouden voor verhoor en eventuele identificatie. Hierna heeft de officier van justitie de mogelijkheid om, voor een periode van drie dagen, de verdachte in verzekering te stellen. De officier kan deze periode verlengen met nog eens drie dagen, bijvoorbeeld als de verdachte weigert informatie te geven. Na deze periode moet de rechter-commissaris zich over de zaak buigen. Die kan opdracht geven tot inbewaringstelling van de verdachte. Het gaat hier dan over een periode van tien dagen, die justitie niet mag verlengen. Als de periode van inbewaringstelling is afgelopen, verschijnt de verdachte voor de raadkamer van de rechtbank die beslist over eventuele gevangenhouding voor een periode van dertig dagen. Deze periode kan tweemaal worden verlengd. Hierna vindt er een normale of een pro forma zitting plaats." END OF TEXT
Not as severe a case but I saw it happen in New Haven Ct. Took decades to come out the black "revolutionaries" who would have nothing to do with "the man" were working closely with the Democrat mayors all during the riots and protests in the 1960s and early 70s. The were fronts for the gang which wanted to tear the city down and make money rebuilding it. They did it too. Sorta. It is a slum now but with newer building.
Well, better that than post-riot Newark, which for years remained unchanged, including autos that were abandoned during the "uprising."
New Haven also has the advantage of Rose DeLauro, the sexiest woman in Bizarro congress.
At last we have part of his name.
I wonder how an animal-rights activist would learn to be such a crack shot.
Her secret is constituent service. My 89 year old aunt who has been a Republican all her life (hated FDR) had a problem with transferring her medicare supplement. Her son worked on it for three months and got nowhere. One call to Rosa's office and the matter was cleared up in two days. Republicans could learn a lesson from how Rosa and Ted Kennedy treat those who elect them (took me days to convince my aunt not to switch and vote for Rosa)
Groen?
Nah!
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