“What do you have to hide?”

That was the question Brandon Leal had for Mayor Rob Ford Friday morning as the 21-year-old student stood with about a dozen other half-naked protesters on Richmond St.

Gathering outside the downtown studio of radio station Newstalk1010 ahead of an interview with the mayor, the protesters said they were inspired a shirtless jogger who confronted Ford at a Canada Day parade.

The jogger, Toronto teacher Joe Killoran, encountered Ford while jogging through East York, and quickly became a celebrity for chastising the mayor for refusing to answer questions.

Since then, Killoran has become a symbol of frustration for citizens still waiting for answers, the protesters said.





“He showed the sentiment, the boiling up, of just frustration,” Leal said. “(Ford)’s played with us as if we’re rag dolls, throws citizens around, says sorry and then does it again. It’s not fair to the people of Toronto and we deserve a better mayor than that.”

Leal and others noted the mayor still refuses to answer questions about his allegedly criminal behaviour, or to address his racist, homophobic or misogynistic comments.

They also opposed his move to block some reporters from covering news conferences, as he did Monday. That action is now subject to a motion at council next week.

The protesters say they were offended when Councillor Doug Ford, the mayor’s brother and campaign manager, attacked Killoran’s integrity.

“He was saying what was on a lot of peoples’ minds,” Tom Hounsell said of Killoran’s rant.

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For Hounsell, who works in software marketing, it doesn’t matter what Ford says now.

“Enough’s enough. There’s no questions I want him to answer. I know that he’ll just spew some garbage,” he said. “So just go. Ride off into the sunset. Get out. Take your brother with you.”

Inside Newstalk1010 studios, Ford repeated comments he’d made in two interviews Wednesday — that he was taking one day at a time, that he has a disease, that he has saved taxpayers’ money.

He did not answer reporters’ questions as he left the studio.

Out on the street, the shirtless protesters drew support of passersby, honks and cheers from cars and even a crew of firefighters who stopped to take pictures — one member flashing a thumbs-up.

“I feel that he is someone who should not be mayor,” said Toronto teacher Don Burns. He was holding a sign that read, “You don’t define the truth.”

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