TORONTO

The Rob Ford mask-wearing citizen journalist allegedly assaulted at the Ford campaign office this week won’t be hanging up his mask anytime soon.

Paul Benoit said Friday he plans to don the mask again given the impact it made.

“Considering that I’ve only worn the mask for 41 seconds so far and I’ve got over 13,000 hits on YouTube in 24 hours, I’d say there is a really good likelihood the mask will be coming (back) out,” Benoit said.

Meanwhile, Doug Ford released security camera video from the Rob Ford campaign’s Scarborough office to defend the campaign volunteer who was charged following the scuffle.

The video provides a different angle of the incident at the Lawrence Ave. E. office on Wednesday that ended with Toronto Police charging Ford campaign volunteer William Byer, 60, with assault, theft and mischief.

In the video, Benoit - the alleged victim - can be seen entering the office three different times between 3:09 p.m. and 3:26 p.m.

“It shows the guy coming in, asked to leave then he comes back in again, asked to leave, comes in a third time with a mask,” Ford told the Sun on Friday.

“Our volunteer goes up and walks him out the door then it looks like a little shoving but you can’t really see it and then right at the end you see this guy jumping onto our campaign guy and then it goes behind the signs so all you see is a shadow.”

“I feel sorry for this old guy that comes in to do volunteer work and all of a sudden this guy has a premeditated plan to drive an hour and a half from Oakville to attack our campaign. And this poor bugger now he’s in trouble for shoving the guy or hitting him? Anyways, it is what it is but I feel sorry for this guy.”

Both Ford and Mayor Rob Ford have come out in full support of their volunteer despite the charges. Doug Ford — the campaign manager — claimed Thursday the police “got it wrong.”

In an interview on Friday, Benoit said he saw the footage Doug Ford released, welcomes it and wishes there was more because it would further prove his innocence.

“I’m surprised (he made it public) because the Fords are constantly saying, ‘Since it’s before the courts I can’t comment, talk to Dennis Morris,’” Benoit said. “Well, this is before the courts and they’re releasing the video. I think it’s funny they’re not answering questions you media are asking about other criminal investigations but they’re willing to release video.”

He shrugged off Ford’s comments about his motivations.

“My only comment is that police did a thorough investigation and charged the right person,” Benoit said. “I was trying to provoke a reaction, I wasn’t trying to provoke a confrontation.

“I think Doug Ford is a bully. He tries to intimidate people. He’s a cheap-shot player. He can give me a cheap-shot. It’ll roll right off my back.”

Benoit said police told him “no charges are pending and no charges will be laid in the future.”

But Benoit is getting anonymous messages from Ford supporters telling him to leave the mayor alone and to get a job. He has forwarded those messages to the police.

“There are Internet trolls out there,” he said.