NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) – A man has been accused of making threats and causing unrest after invading the premises of the Cyprus public broadcaster to protest what he believes is the country’s ‘blasphemous’ participation in This year’s Eurovision song contest was, police said. Sunday.
Police told The Associated Press that the man, who has not been named, was released after being charged with four charges, including verbal abuse.
Police said witnesses to Saturday’s incident told investigators that the man verbally addressed employees outside the news department of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation. He was apparently upset that the broadcaster had chosen the song “El Diablo” (“The Devil”), performed by Greek singer Elena Tsagrinou, to represent Cyprus, saying it was an affront to Christianity.
An amateur video of the man confronting the CyBC staff had him yelling at a number of workers in the yard, asking how they could justify supporting such a song.
The title of “El Diablo” and its lyrics – “I gave my heart to El Diablo … because he tells me I am his angel” – have touched a nerve with some in the Eastern Mediterranean island nation who consider it laden with satanic connotations.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, an association representing theologians who teach in secondary schools expressed “dislike” about the song and called for its withdrawal because it “promises lifelong devotion and professes love for Satan.”
The agency also reported that the broadcaster received threatening calls that “it would be burned down” because of the number.
The far-right political party ELAM has released a statement saying that even if the lyrics are metaphorical, it “attacks and insults our faith in a shadowy way.”
Others, meanwhile, used social media to mock “El Diablo” as a good song, defend it as a tune about a “scorching love affair” or to call opponents religious fanatics.
Cyprus’ best-ever performance in the popular music competition was second in 2018 with the song ‘El Fuego’ by singer Eleni Foureira.
The annual Eurovision competition is a beloved European institution watched by millions of people, often featuring songs that are controversial, with questionable taste or downright bad.