Victoria candidate dropped by B.C. Conservatives after old social media posts resurface

Joachim Agou, the B.C. Conservatives candidate in Victoria-Beacon Hill, has been dropped by the party after old social media posts resurfaced. On Thursday, Oct. 8, Amna Shah, the NDP candidate in Surrey Centre, posted screenshots on X of three of Agou’s posts: one expressing sympathy for Donald Trump, Elon Musk and other right-wing politicians in the U.S. and Europe; one about London, U.K.’s Pakistani population; and one supporting a driver who plowed into a pro-Palestine protest in Switzerland in 2025. Shah called the posts “absolutely horrific racism” and urged party leader Lorne Doerkson to remove Agou immediately.

Doerkson later said in a statement that Agou was no longer a party candidate and that he would not tolerate the posts. If elected, Agou would not serve in the party caucus. The party’s website describes Agou as an engineer and small-business owner from France who came to Canada in 2011.

In a Facebook post later that day, Agou categorically rejected the racism accusation. He said his comment on a video of the Lausanne protest was not about anyone’s nationality or faith; he had reacted emotionally to the chaos and blocked streets around the protest. He said that explained his reaction but did not excuse it, and acknowledged that his words, taken on their own, could be read as supporting violence. He said he should have expressed himself more clearly and calmly. He also said he condemns all political violence and racism and respects people of every background.

Agou said he supports the right to protest peacefully, but protests should not bring a city to a standstill or put lives at risk. Everyone, he said, has the right to express their views and feel safe, and nothing justifies violence against protesters or violence by protesters against others. He added that some older reposts no longer reflect his views; the posts Shah shared were from 2024 and 2025. “People learn and change,” he said, adding that he had too.

Agou said the B.C. Conservatives had withdrawn their support for his candidacy and that he understood why, but his reasons for running remained unchanged. He said he would continue campaigning for faster health care, affordable housing, lower costs and safer streets.