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Even by the standards set by Rob Ford, a Tuesday morning press conference was a bizarre spectacle as a shirtless protester screamed “resign!” only a metre behind the Toronto mayor as he tried to slog his way through a speech on gridlock.

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“You like being mayor? Then be accountable!” read a sign held by the shirtless man, identified as John Furr.

Another protester held a sign reading: “You are your brother’s puppet.”

The small group was inspired by a shirtless jogger who ranted at Ford after coming across him at Canada Day event last week. The protesters briefly clashed with members of Mayor Ford’s staff at the start of the press conference, before the staffers resigned themselves to the embarrassing visual. Ford’s hulking, omnipresent driver/bodyguard/trainer, Jerry Agyemang, glared at the protesters throughout the press conference.

Furr said one staffer grabbed him and another kicked him in the leg during the melee. Police were called but no arrests were made.

In video captured by CityNews, a police officer can be heard rebuking a Ford staffer for kicking Furr.

“If you want me to help you out, you can’t be kicking him,” the officer says. “I saw you kick him. I saw it happen.”