THE NETHERLANDS: Dutch prosecutors have charged an environmental activist with Monday's murder of the far-right politician, Mr Pim Fortuyn. Police arrested the suspect, Mr Volkert Van Der Graaf (32), a member of a group called Environmentalist Offensive, minutes after Mr Fortuyn was shot dead outside a radio studio.
"The suspect has been charged with murder and illegal possession of firearms," a prosecution spokesman said after the closed session in an Amsterdam court.
Friends of Mr Van Der Graaf expressed surprise at his arrest, describing him as a mild-mannered opponent of factory farming. The suspect, who is married with a baby daughter, took more than 2,000 legal actions to ensure Dutch farmers obeyed environmental and animal protection rules.
But Mr Roger Vluegels, a legal adviser to Environmentalist Offensive, said Mr Van Der Graaf had never advocated the use of violent methods.
"If he was angry, it was at the government because it didn't uphold environmental laws well. I spoke today to some of his colleagues and they are all surprised. No one noticed anything about him," he said.
There was a strong police presence in the centre of Rotterdam last night as the local football team, Feyenoord, faced Ger- many's Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA cup final.
There were fears in advance of the match that Feyenoord fans, many of whom supported Mr Fortuyn, could turn violent.
Police kept rival fans apart at opposite sides of the city and imposed a ban on alcohol in parts of the city.
Crowds continued to gather yesterday at Rotterdam's city hall to sign a book of condolence in memory of Mr Fortuyn. Most of the visitors yesterday were young people, many of whom left flowers or messages in front of the building. Members of Holland's ethnic minorities were among those who paid their respects.
Mr Fortuyn became a national figure in the Netherlands less than two months ago, when his anti-immigration party won more than one third of the seats on Rotterdam's city council.
His group, Pim Fortuyn's List, was expected to poll well in next week's general election and some Dutch political activists are predicting that a sympathy vote could now boost the party's performance further.
Rotterdam's mayor, Mr Ivo Opstelten, paid tribute to Mr Fortuyn yesterday at a special session of the city council.
"He made politics interesting for whole groups of people. The Netherlands is united in condemning this gruesome act," he said.
Mr Fortuyn's body will lie in state at Rotterdam Cathedral today before his funeral tomorrow, when the Dutch Prime Minister, Mr Wim Kok, will lead the mourners.
Despite yesterday's court appearance, the motive behind Mr Fortuyn's assassination remains a mystery. Dutch animal rights groups have condemned the murder and praised Mr Fortuyn's environmental policies. Pigs in Need, a group that campaigns for better conditions on pig farms, said there was no reason for an animal rights activist to attack the politician.
"Pim Fortuyn had reasonable views on the bio-industry. He believed that new agricultural policy needed to be animal friendly," the group said.
Mr Fortuyn had been critical of some environmentalists and called for the lifting of a ban on fur farming. But he took a more sympathetic approach to animal rights in a recent book.
"Animal welfare must be a priority and we need to switch to less industrial production methods," he wrote.
Mr Van Der Graaf, who was remanded in custody for at least 10 days, could face up to 20 years in jail if he is convicted. He made no statement to the court yesterday.
