Ousted B.C. Conservative candidate Joachim Agou apologizes for posts deemed racist

A candidate for British Columbia’s provincial election, kicked from the Conservatives over online posts the NDP called racist, says he is truly sorry.

Victoria-Beacon Hill candidate Joachim Agou says on social media that he takes responsibility for his words but rejects any accusation of racism.

In one post, Agou said a car that drove through a pro-Palestine protest “should have reversed” over demonstrators, while another showed him sharing a meme that used an expletive to describe Pakistan.

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Interim Conservative Party leader Lorne Doerkson said the posts are inexcusable and that, if Agou is elected Oct. 24, he will not be part of the Conservative caucus.

Regarding the protest post, Agou says he should have expressed himself “more clearly and calmly,” stating that such demonstrations “should not bring a city to a standstill or put lives at risk.”

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He also says he understands why the Tories withdrew their support and will run as an independent in the riding considered to be an NDP stronghold.