EXTENDED: Mayor Rob Ford’s press conference regarding traffic congestion on Eglinton Avenue is interrupted by another group of shirtless protesters calling on Ford to resign
TORONTO – Mayor Rob Ford was surrounded by a handful of protesters shouting out calls for his resignation during a press conference Tuesday morning in Toronto.
Ford was on Eglinton Avenue to discuss his opposition to plans to turn the busy corridor into a boulevard but his message was quickly drowned out by angry chants.
Several protesters huddled behind the mayor during the entire press conference, many of them holding up white picket signs.
John Furr, a Scarborough businessman who spearheaded a #shirtlesshorde protest in downtown Toronto last week, stood directly behind the mayor during the event and was seen getting into a confrontation with Ford’s chief of staff Dan Jacobs.
WATCH: Protesters drown out Rob Ford at a press conference. Jackson Proskow reports.
READ MORE: Anti-Ford shirtless jogger inspires #shirtlesshorde
Repeated chants of “resign” were heard throughout the press conference and at times flustered the mayor.
Ford seemed to brush off the protests when asked by reporters.
“They can protest all they want. All I’m doing is saving taxpayers money, keeping the traffic flowing. That’s what the taxpayers want in this city,” Ford said.
WATCH: Rob Ford’s Chief of Staff Dan Jacobs got into an extremely heated confrontation with one of the shirtless protesters
The mayor later turned his attention to taking pictures with bystanders following the end of the 10 minute media event.
When questioned about the shirtless protesters, Rob’s brother Doug Ford alleges they are the same people responsible for smashing his car window Monday evening.
“It’s intimidation. They’re a bunch of goons,” Ford told Global News. “They want to intimidate my family, my kids, try to intimidate the campaign. It’s not going to happen.”
“Maybe you can ask Tory which goons he sent or Olivia Chow which goons they sent. It’s the same four guys that are affiliated with a campaign. It’s the same four guys that stood outside of 1010.”
Ford returned to work last week after spending two months in rehab.
He has only given a select number of interviews, but has not taken questions from city hall journalists about the circumstances surrounding his alcohol and drug use.
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