THE NETHERLANDS: Several hundred demonstrators gathered last night outside the Dutch parliament to protest the shooting death of far-right leader Pim Fortuyn nine days before national elections.
Angry protesters shouted "The media did it!" and "The country is sick" outside the building where just minutes before acting Prime Minister Mr Wim Kok had confirmed Mr Fortuyn's death.
One left-wing demonstrator tore up a Fortuyn poster, causing many in the crowd to turn on him before others intervened to calm the situation.
But many other protesters menaced journalists on the scene, with anger high over what they saw as the media's demonisation of Mr Fortuyn.
Meanwhile, European politicians of all political stripes have expressed outrage at the murder. Mr Kok said he was "shocked by the assassination attempt". Other parties have decided to halt their election campaign, Mr Hans Dijkstal, the leader of the liberal VVD party, said.
Mr Ad Melkert, the leader of the ruling labour party PvdA, described the shooting as "appalling". "It's hard to grasp this can happen here. Dutch democracy has lost its innocence," he said.
In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Mr Javier Solana condemned the attack. "It's terrible. Of course I disagree with these methods," he said.
British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair condemned the shooting and cancelled a visit to the Netherlands that had been set for today. "We share the real sense of shock there will be in the Netherlands," Mr Blair said in a statement. "Whatever feelings political figures arouse, the ballot box is the place to express them."
Mr Frank Vanhecke, the president of Belgium's extreme-right Vlaams Blok party, hit out at what he said were increasing threats to far-right officials. "We are shocked but not surprised by what has happened," he said.
Mr Bruno Megret, who heads France's extreme-right National Republican Movement, said he was "deeply shocked". "If it was politically motivated, this criminal act shows to what extent certain hysterical positions like those shown by the French left over the past 15 days can incite hatred," he said.