Premier Doug Ford says protesters “went a little too far” when they brought a mock guillotine to Queen’s Park, so his office has contacted the police.

At a rally of several hundred demonstrators on Wednesday, unidentified people brandishing Soviet-era Communist flags arrived with a two-metre high wooden prop designed to look like a bloodstained guillotine.

A photograph posted on social media showed a black bandana-wearing woman holding a sign reading: “May history repeat itself, chop, chop.”

The Progressive Conservatives, who have forwarded a complaint about the incident to the Ontario Provincial Police, criticized the New Democrats who attended the May Day protest for being complicit.

“Any time a politician, no matter what party it is, has a guillotine out there, I think that goes a little too far,” the premier said Thursday, appearing to suggest the NDP brought the guillotine.

“It goes way overboard. The difference is, that’s what the opposition believes in, supporting folks like that,” he thundered at New Democrats in the legislature.

“We support the people that are out in the factories and the offices trying to make ends meet, paying their taxes and wanting services.”

Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod, who herself has been threatened by parents after revamping Ontario’s autism funding program, expressed outrage at the demonstration that was protesting Tory budget cuts.

“Mass protesters brought a bloodied guillotine to the grounds of Queen’s Park and you know what they did? They beheaded an effigy of the premier. This is disgusting and it is a sick act that has been condoned by the opposition,” said MacLeod.

“It’s important to know that this is the real NDP. We have seen it on the attacks against the minister of labour’s office and the accosting and attacking of me, resulting in OPP protection for members of our cabinet. They care more about activism and protesting,” she said.

Deputy NDP Leader Sara Singh said the party “condemned” such a violent prop at protest.

“That type of behaviour is inappropriate and it’s not something our party supports,” said Singh, adding it’s up to the police to investigate and determine whether criminal charges should be laid.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner said it was “completely inappropriate.”

“I support protesting. I don’t support people using violence or even depicting violence in their protests,” said Schreiner.

The Toronto Sun splashed the rally on its front page Thursday with the headline “Reds Want His Head.”

Despite that, Ford’s aides took to Twitter to complain about the lack of media coverage of the anti-Ford protest.

“If a conservative activist had pulled this stunt with Kathleen Wynne, there would be a much bigger media story,” tweeted one Tory staffer.

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“But let’s keep pretending there isn’t a double standard when it comes to opponents of Doug Ford.”

Another bemoaned the “crickets from the other outlets” who did not publicize the relatively small rally.

With files from Rob Ferguson

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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