Today 6pm CET Pim Fortuyn, the Dutch right-wing populist leader, was shot dead. Fortuyn, notorious for his racist views on asylum policies and Islam, was predicted to take next week's parliamentary elections by storm and even named as the possible new prime-minister. Police have arrested a white man of Dutch origin, aged 30-35, but have made no statements concerning his identity or possible motivation. Population, press and politicians are reacting confused. Although all mainstream political parties closed ranks against any coalition with Fortuyn this week, the acting government has expressed disgust about what is generally seen as a political assasination.

The atmosphere in the Netherlands is tense. Earlier this evening several hundred of Fortuyn supporters rioted at the parliament square, chanting racist slogans and throwing stones. Police swept the square clean and closed it off around 23:00, but people are still gathering in front of parliament, the Dam in Amsterdam and in the Mediapark, Hilversum where the murder took place. Clashes between Fortuyn supporters and people of ethnic minorities are reported. In Rotterdam a group of armed men threatened a group of immigrants.

Rumours about a possible assasination had been going round for a week already, not in the least fuelled by Pim Fortuyn himself who spoke of threats and had hired extra security. Still, confusion is the general reaction of many people and politicans who do not really know how to deal with the death of a man they had hoped would leave Dutch politics as quickly as he had entered it. Reactions on Indymedia.nl range from "a political murder is always fascist" to "I don't approve, but do understand" and "only a dead fascist is a good fascist". Discussants fear a possible '11 September' effect for leftist activism and increased fascist and racist activities.

Election campaigning has been called off and the interim government is considering an emergency law to postpone elections.