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Thousands flock to honour Pim Fortuyn (with funeral photos)
BBC ^ | May 9, 2002

Posted on 05/09/2002 11:32:12 AM PDT by Shermy

Thousands of people from all over the Netherlands are paying their last respects in Rotterdam to the murdered politician Pim Fortuyn.

Fortuyn, who had been due to lead his controversial anti-immigration party into next week's general election, was shot dead on Monday in the city of Hilversum.

His body is lying in state at the city's Roman Catholic cathedral. The Netherlands has not seen such an event since 1962, when Queen Wilhelmina died.

Many had been queuing for five hours for the chance to file past his open coffin.

By early afternoon, the crowd was so large that the cathedral doors were opened half-an-hour early to ease the congestion.

Once inside, they filed two-by-two up the aisle to the altar where Fortuyn's body - dressed in a dark suit and a sharp golden tie - lay in a lacquered white coffin.

Emotional tributes

Mourners said the atmosphere inside the church was heavily charged with emotion, the silence broken by sobbing or even the occasional gasp of disbelief.

Renco Valkman, 31, of Dordrecht, a media adviser, joined the queue when there were already several hundred people ahead of him.

He said: "He was a very, very special person whose ideas were shared by an awful lot of people in our country.

"People call him a racist, but how can all these people be racists, too?"

Asslean Rajcomar, from Alkmaar, who said she was of Hindu origin, said: "He was a good person, very honest. He spoke the truth about things that are happening in Dutch society and I'm going to vote for his party now."

Denise Jensen, 17, of The Hague, said: "He was the first person to stand up and tell the truth about what is happening in this country, saying things that others were too afraid to say."

Her mother, Maria Jensen, agreed. "He was a very brave and very honest man, who shook people out of their complacency and he gets my vote," she said.

Suspect remanded

The man suspected of murdering Fortuyn - 32-year-old animal rights campaigner Volkert van der Graaf - was remanded in custody on Wednesday for another 10 days.

Thousands of people have signed the book of condolence for the murdered politician.

The BBC's Geraldine Coughlan, in The Hague, says the Dutch nation is united in condemning the killing - regarded as a slap in the face for democracy.

The killing has shocked every part of Dutch society

Leading politicians decided that the lying in state would be a fitting gesture to the flamboyant, openly homosexual political newcomer who took Dutch consensus politics by storm.

His body will be carried in procession through Rotterdam on Friday, then back to the cathedral, where interim Prime Minister Wim Kok will lead mourners at a funeral mass.

Canvassing for the 15 May election will be suspended on Friday as a mark of respect to the dead politician, who headed the newly formed List Pim Fortuyn (LPF).

After the ceremony, Fortuyn's coffin will be interred temporarily in his family's vault in the north-western town of Driehuis-Westerveld before it is finally buried at Pordemone in northern Italy, where he had a holiday home.

Anti-immigration campaign

Fortuyn had courted controversy by campaigning against immigration, partly on the grounds that many immigrants did not accept the liberal values he himself represented.

Under Fortuyn, the LPF had been tipped to win about 17% of the vote, and could have entered the government.

With no time to alter the ballot-papers, Fortuyn's name will still appear on top of the LPF's list of 52 candidates.

Mr van der Graaf refused to make a statement when he appeared at a closed hearing before an Amsterdam judge on Wednesday.

The public prosecutor said ammunition found at the suspect's house matched the calibre of the bullets which killed Fortuyn.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Members of the LPF stress that Fortuyn was not actively promoting any causes perceived as being "anti-animal rights".


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: fortuyn; holland; netherlands; peta; terrorism
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1 posted on 05/09/2002 11:32:12 AM PDT by Shermy
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To: Shermy
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison

20 years? Eh?

2 posted on 05/09/2002 11:34:02 AM PDT by isthisnickcool
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To: Knighthawk; aristeides; backhoe; tdadams; Prodigal Son; xsysmgr; xm177e2; x; timesink...
Ping.

Kermit, Mike D. - open casket after all.

3 posted on 05/09/2002 11:42:16 AM PDT by Shermy
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To: Shermy
Wonder what his reception will be in prison. He'll be a hero to some when he gets out.
4 posted on 05/09/2002 11:45:46 AM PDT by LarryLied
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To: Shermy
Maybe I'm mistaken but I thought this guy was shot in the head a bunch of times????? Open casket?
5 posted on 05/09/2002 11:47:10 AM PDT by isthisnickcool
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To: Shermy
His body will be carried in procession through Rotterdam on Friday, then back to the cathedral, where interim Prime Minister Wim Kok will lead mourners at a funeral mass.

This is rich - help incite the murder of your political rival & then score points with the electorate by crying crocodile tears at his funeral.

6 posted on 05/09/2002 11:55:21 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: Shermy
I might have missed it in the other threads but what caliber was the handgun- anyone know? A .22 would explain the open casket.

It should be interesting to see how the elections go now. The left is the self styled "voice of democracy". This is how they deal with opinions they don't like? The shooter might be surprised to behold the world he helped create in two decades time when he is released. Leftism could very well be dead by that point.

7 posted on 05/09/2002 11:58:14 AM PDT by Prodigal Son
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To: Shermy
I see rivers of blood all over Europe. Poor Pim's is just the beginning of what will have to be paid for letting Muslims into the continental body of Christ.

I also expect that when the threads are all unraveled, it will be found that the House of Saud paid for this murder, hired it done.

8 posted on 05/09/2002 11:59:45 AM PDT by crystalk
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To: Shermy
Very odd to have been openly gay and an extreme right politician. Seems almost a contradiction in terms...
9 posted on 05/09/2002 12:09:21 PM PDT by Florida SunGod
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To: Shermy
If Fortuyn's name is on the ballot, and he wins a seat, wonder who will serve? (I understand that Jean Carnahan is not available)
10 posted on 05/09/2002 12:12:11 PM PDT by The Electrician
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To: Florida SunGod
That's an easy one - "extreme right" is a label that was applied by his political enemies and by the media. It is not a factual or accurate description.
11 posted on 05/09/2002 12:13:41 PM PDT by The Electrician
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To: Shermy
Prodigal Son make a good point:

The left is the self styled "voice of democracy". This is how they deal with opinions they don't like?

Perhaps some good will come of this- decent people do not accept or condone assassination of people they don't agree with.

12 posted on 05/09/2002 12:14:31 PM PDT by backhoe
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To: swarthyguy; knighthawk
Here's a link to the threat on Dutch Hindus:

Dutch Hindu groups threatened over Fortuyn

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dozens of threatening letters containing an unidentified white powder were sent to some 80 Dutch Hindu groups this week, accusing them of supporting murdered politician Pim Fortuyn, one of the groups said on Thursday.

But the organisations had not taken any stand in support of anti-immigration campaigner Fortuyn, who was shot dead on Monday just as his new party was surging in opinion polls, said a representative of the Hindu group SHPN.

The letters, signed "Dutch al Qaeda", were received on Monday and Tuesday. They have been reported to the police.

Fortuyn's party had been expected to win some 17 percent of the vote in a general election next Wednesday.

His campaign had created a groundswell of support from those who admired his outspoken stance as well as bitter opposition from established politicians, many foreigners and the left wing.

13 posted on 05/09/2002 12:15:52 PM PDT by Shermy
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To: Shermy
First reaction; 80 Dutch Hindu Groups - that means 79 Hindus in Holland including one schizophrenic.
14 posted on 05/09/2002 12:17:55 PM PDT by swarthyguy
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To: Florida SunGod
Think of Roy Cohn, Joseph McCarthy's lawyer.
15 posted on 05/09/2002 12:19:04 PM PDT by swarthyguy
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To: isthisnickcool
Shot in the back of the head.

BTW, the "openness" of this funeral is quite unusual for the staid Dutch. Their might be some politics involved in it, but I think it has more to, how can I say, Pim's flamboyance?

Fortuyn To Lie In Rotterdam Cathedral

16 posted on 05/09/2002 12:19:11 PM PDT by Shermy
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To: The Electrician
The telegraph of UK has a story that a black man, his deputy would!
17 posted on 05/09/2002 12:31:48 PM PDT by swarthyguy
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To: Florida SunGod
Here's a selection of articles on Fortuyn threaded at FR. You can also use the FR search engine - type "fortuyn" or "dutch", etc.

March 27

The demonization of Pim Fortuyn, the Dutch up and coming politician

May 6

Just in: Netherlands: Pim Fortuyn Assassinated! (750 posts)

May 7

Pim Fortuyn -- obituary

Murder of a maverick (Pim Fortuyn)

Murder in Holland: Pim Fortuyn, martyr

May 9

Fortuyn told of Europe's future

Black immigrant is new face of Pim Fortuyn List

***Extreme? Pim Fortuyn was not who they say he was.

18 posted on 05/09/2002 12:34:59 PM PDT by Shermy
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To: Shermy
Yeah, you were right.
19 posted on 05/09/2002 12:40:14 PM PDT by Kermit
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To: Florida SunGod
As Pim himself said, to be "right wing" in the Netherlands is to still be to the left of the British Labor Party. Pim was for protecting Gay "domestic partner benefits," and generally supportive of the Dutch system of high taxation and regulation. For "breaking ranks" on the immigration question, he paid the ultimate price.
20 posted on 05/09/2002 12:46:42 PM PDT by Clemenza
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