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

VICTORIA — 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.

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.