---
title: "Dropped BC Conservative candidate Joachim Agou apologizes but rejects racism accusation"
description: "Agou said on social media he takes responsibility for the posts but denies the accusation of racism, adding that protests should not stop a city or put lives at risk."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/joachim-agou-apology-statement-october-2026"
last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:06:50.630Z"
---

The BC Conservative candidate removed from the Victoria-Beacon Hill race the day before has issued a public statement. Global News reported on October 9, 2026, citing The Canadian Press, that [Joachim Agou](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/joachim-agou) posted on social media that he takes responsibility for his words but rejects any accusation of racism.

Agou was removed by interim Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson on October 8 after posts came to light. One post said a car that drove through a pro-Palestine protest "should have reversed" over demonstrators. Another showed him sharing a meme that used an expletive to describe Pakistan.

## What Agou said on October 9

In his statement, Agou said he should have expressed himself "more clearly and calmly." He also said that demonstrations "should not bring a city to a standstill or put lives at risk." He rejected the accusation of racism.

The statement does not address the specific posts directly, according to Global News. Global News had reported the previous day that Agou deleted his social media account at the time the Conservative Party removed him. His statement on October 9 was posted to social media.

## What changes and what stays the same

Nothing in Agou's statement changes his status on the ballot. Ballots for Victoria-Beacon Hill were printed before the removal, and his name stays on them. A candidate cannot be removed from a ballot once it has been printed, so voters in the district will see his name on October 24.

Doerkson confirmed on October 8 that if Agou is elected on October 24, he will not serve in the Conservative caucus. Agou's statement does not dispute this.

## What voters in Victoria-Beacon Hill can do

If you are a voter in the district and you are deciding how to vote, the full candidate list for Victoria-Beacon Hill is at Elections BC, electionsbc.ca. You can confirm your registration and find your voting place there. Advance voting runs October 16 to 21. Voting day is October 24. Other candidates in the district are listed at /bc/provincial-2026/parties/bc-ndp and at the other party pages on this site.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.