Hundreds rallied against Doug Ford outside Toronto City Hall
Hundreds of angry Torontonians came together in front of City Hall on Wednesday night to, as they put it, "rally against Doug Ford's unprecedented, unconstitutional and rights-stripping decision to invoke the Notwithstanding Clause to RAM his undemocratic, disgusting, and despotic cuts to City Council down our throats."
Like other recent protests against Ontario's relatively new premier, this one involved a lot of chanting (but no handcuffs!)
Cries of "Hey Hey, ho ho, Doug Ford has got to go!" and "Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looked like!" echoed throughout Nathan Phillips Square between 4 and 6 p.m., the sounds of which could be heard from blocks away.
Liberal and NDP politicians, as well as those running in Toronto's upcoming municipal election, added to the cacophony with rousing speeches on the urban plaza's main stage.
Demonstrators had plenty to say about Ford's use of the rare and controversial "notwithstanding clause" to try and override a Superior Court Judge's ruling against his move to slash 22 seats from Toronto city council, during an election campaign.
Their chants were loud, but their signs were even louder — and way more creative, in most cases.
Many in the city (and beyond) argue that Ford's government is violating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by invoking Section 33.
So, they rolled out a massive copy of the Charter for everyone present to sign and send to Ontario Attorney General Caroline Mulroney.
Observers were particularly taken with this cheeky sign referencing Ontario Justice Edward Belobaba's scathing 21-page-long ruling against Bill 5.
The word "dictator" has been thrown around a lot in reference to Ford since he announced the reintroduction of his council-cutting legislation.
Some pieces were more subtle than others.
The sign on the right in the photo below, which reads "Mr. Ford, just so you know, Hitler was also voted in!" was not one said subtle signs.
Some signs posed questions for the Ford administration.
Others were instructive.
One of those most prominently featured on Instagram contained just one word: Secede.
Hey, it's not the first time someone has brought the idea up since Ford was elected.
Lauren O'Neil
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