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A man arrested over a protest against Cyprus’s choice of Eurovision song has been charged, police have said.
The man, who has not been named, is accused of barging into the grounds of the country’s public service broadcaster and abusing staff.
He claimed the nation’s 2021 entry to the competition – El Diablo – or The Devil – is an “affront to Christianity”, has “satanic” connotations, and the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation should not be showing it.
Video posted online shows the man shouting at a number of employees at the CyBC news department in Nicosia.
He has been charged with four offences, including threatening behaviour, verbal abuse and causing a disturbance, local police said on Sunday.
The defendant in the case is not the only person against the song, however.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, CyBC bosses have received phone calls threatening to “burn down” the organisation for promoting the song, which is performed by Greek singer Elena Tsagrinou.
A group that represents religious high school teachers have also expressed their “disgust” over it.
They say it should be withdrawn from the competition because it “pledges lifelong devotion and professes love for satan”.
Cyprus, which is made up of almost 90% Orthodox Christians, had its best ever Eurovision performance in 2018 with the son El Fuego by Eleni Foureria, which came second overall.
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