Canada Councillors Wear Pink to Protest against ‘Toronto’s Worst Mayor Ever’

Canadian councillors wore pink to hold a unique protest against a "dysfunctional" mayor.

Controversial Canadian politician Rob Ford went for a council meeting, and several councillors hoped that it would be his last one as the mayor of Toronto. It was Don Cherry, Ford's guest of honour, who wore a pink blazer at the first council meeting of the term. Pink became the colour of protest since then.

According to several councillors, Ford has been dysfunctional as a mayor. Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam wore a pink shirt to celebrate the "end of Rob Ford." She said that she had clearly not been with the mayor. "I think that he is an ineffective mayor, I think he's actually been dysfunctional, he's been a very poor leader," she said. Wong-Tam also tweeted that Ford was "Toronto's worst mayor ever."

Councillor Ana Bailao made a "statement" by wearing pink. She wore a pink sweater. "It's a statement that we want a council that works better, that is more inclusive, that is more respectful of each other's ideas," she said. When Councillor Ceta Ramkhalawansingh was asked if it was the last council meeting Ford had as a mayor, the civil servant who was born in Trinidad and Tobago said that everyone would "hope so."

According to Councillor Janet, pink symbolised that the councillors took their stand against the politician. "We stood up against the intimidation that often took place here at the beginning of the term," Davis said, "It was started on the very first day of the inaugural meeting where Don Cherry immediately attacked and created that climate of polarization." He wore pink to express that a "better climate" was required at City Hall.

There were, nevertheless, several other councillors who did not wear pink. Councillor Mark Grimes, one of those who did not flaunt pink, was more concerned about bringing the "council back together." "Whoever is going to come as mayor I think we've got to bring this council back together and start working together," he said. "Under David Miller it was divisive in my mind. Under Mayor Ford, it has been divisive. It would be nice to see council come together and work together."

The man in question, Ford himself, did not seem perturbed by the protest at all. He is going to opt for re-election despite what certain councillors might be shouting against. "Won't be mine, might be yours, won't be mine," he replied when asked if it would be his last days as a mayor.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au