B.C. Conservatives remove candidate after posts draw criticism

The B.C. Conservatives removed Joachim Agou as their candidate in Victoria-Beacon Hill after social media posts drew criticism, and Agou says he will run as an independent in the provincial election. Interim party leader Lorne Doerkson said Agou was no longer a Conservative candidate and would not serve in the party’s caucus if elected. Doerkson described the posts as inexcusable. The party’s decision was announced Thursday, October 8, after the NDP highlighted the posts, according to one account. Agou said he takes responsibility for his words and is truly sorry, while rejecting accusations of racism. In a Facebook post, he said he should have expressed himself more clearly and calmly. He also said demonstrations should not bring a city to a standstill or put lives at risk, and said he understood why the Conservatives withdrew their support. The posts were described through screenshots shared by NDP candidate Amna Shah. They reportedly showed Agou writing that a car that had driven through a pro-Palestinian protest should have reversed over demonstrators, and sharing a meme that used an expletive to describe Pakistan. Agou’s X account was later deleted.