NICOSIA, Cyprus 鈥� A man has been charged with uttering threats and causing a disturbance after barging onto the grounds of Cyprus鈥� public broadcaster to protest what he said was the country鈥檚 鈥渂lasphemous鈥� entry into this year鈥檚 Eurovision song contest, police said Sunday.
Police told The Associated Press the man, who hasn鈥檛 been named, was released after being charged with four counts, including being verbally abusive.
Police said witnesses to Saturday鈥檚 incident told investigators the man verbally accosted employees outside the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation鈥檚 news department. He was apparently upset that the broadcaster had selected the song 鈥淓l Diablo鈥� ("The Devil") performed by Greek singer Elena Tsagrinou to represent Cyprus, since he said it was as an affront to Christianity.
Amateur video of the man confronting CyBC staff showed him screaming at a number of employees in the yard, asking how they could justify supporting such a song.
The title of 鈥淓l Diablo鈥� as well as it鈥檚 lyrics 鈥� 鈥淚 gave my heart to el diablo...because he tells me I鈥檓 his angel鈥� 鈥� have touched a raw nerve with some in the east Mediterranean island nation, who consider it to be fraught with Satanic connotations.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, an association representing theologians who teach in high schools expressed their 鈥渄isgust鈥� over the song and called for it to be withdrawn because it 鈥減ledges life-long devotion and professes love for Satan.鈥�
The agency also reported the broadcaster received threatening phone calls that 鈥渋t would be burned down鈥� because of the song.
The far-right ELAM political party issued a statement saying even if the song鈥檚 lyrics are metaphorical, it 鈥渁ttacks and insults our faith in a shadowy way.鈥�
Others, meanwhile, took to social media to heap scorn on 鈥淓l Diablo鈥� as a good song, defend it as simply a ditty about a 鈥渟corching love affair鈥� or to label its detractors religious zealots.
Cyprus鈥� best-ever showing in the popular music competition was as runner-up in 2018 with the song 鈥淓l Fuego鈥� by singer Eleni Foureira.
The annual Eurovision contest is a beloved European institution watched by millions that often involves songs that are controversial, in questionable taste or just plain bad.
Menelaos Hadjicostis, The Associated Press
