Signs planted on University Avenue in Toronto on Oct. 12, 2010, believed to be slamming mayoral candidate Rob Ford.
Rob Ford's mayoral rivals are condemning the anonymous signs attacking the front-runner that popped up on University Avenue Tuesday morning.
The black-and-white signs reading: "Wife-beating racist drunk for mayor!" were removed from the thoroughfare's median shortly after dawn.
Although the approximately 10 signs didn't mention Mr. Ford by name, they were almost certainly aimed at the Etobicoke councillor.
He pleaded guilty to a drunk-driving charge in Florida in 1999 and was charged with assault and uttering death threats against his wife in 2008. Those charges were later dropped. Mr. Ford also warned that "Orientals" would be "taking over" in a controversial council speech he said was intended to praise the Asian work ethic.
"I think those are cowardly," mayoral candidate George Smitherman said of the signs, adding his campaign had nothing to do with them. "George Smitherman, if he's launching an attack on any candidate, is going to do that frontally and forthrightly."
Joe Pantalone and Rocco Rossi also criticized the signs.
"I think it's demeaning. I think it lowers the tone of the debate," Mr. Rossi said. "That's not where it should be. It should stay focused on the substance and the issues."
With less than two weeks to go until voting day, the Ford camp said they've grown accustomed to low blows against their candidate.
"I thought it was pretty disgusting," Fraser Macdonald, Mr. Ford's deputy communications director, said. "To be honest, these kind of low-blow things seem to help our campaign, not hurt it."
With a report from Anna Mehler Paperny