A Toronto man has been charged after someone posted an online comment offering free beer to anyone throwing eggs or tomatoes at Mayor Rob Ford.
A Toronto man has been charged after someone posted an online comment offering free beer to anyone throwing eggs or tomatoes at Mayor Rob Ford.
Police said the post alluded to last Friday's Ford Fest event, where thousands lined up for free burgers at Scarborough's Thomson Memorial Park. The gathering also made headlines because of a confrontation between supporters of the mayor and protesters.
Toronto police said they became aware of the post Thursday.
By Friday afternoon, just hours before the event started, Dilaz Rajwani, 37, turned himself in to detectives at 43 Division.
He was charged with counselling an indictable offence that was not committed. He is to appear in court on Sept. 3.
The police did not identify the website but it appears to be from a page of BlogTO.com that listed free events in July.
The post is no longer on the website but another commenter refers to it, writing "I'll let the authorities know your [sic] pre planning an assault on Rob Ford. Show it by voting on October 27, not by throwing eggs."
A copy of the post, which was copied on another forum, shows that it purports to speak on behalf of a group called Citizens For Fairness, which says it promotes "ethical and non-violent" means.
It urged people to target the mayor but cautioned them not to boil the eggs and to use fresh tomatoes rather than frozen or unripe ones.
"If anyone hits rob ford and his gang of idiots, you will get a 6-pack and a tshirt saying `I Jammed rob ford'," the post said.
BlogTO.com publisher Tim Shore declined to speak about a specific online comment but said objectionable posts often have to be removed from his website, though copies are kept and can be handed to police or the courts.
Tu Thanh Ha