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| Toronto Mayor Rob Ford under mounting pressure to resign | Toronto Mayor Rob Ford under mounting pressure to resign |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Toronto's mayor has faced angry protesters - and mounting calls to quit - as he arrived for work a day after he admitted smoking crack cocaine. | Toronto's mayor has faced angry protesters - and mounting calls to quit - as he arrived for work a day after he admitted smoking crack cocaine. |
| One of Mayor Rob Ford's veteran policy aides resigned on Wednesday, the latest in a string of defections since May. | |
| Meanwhile, even Mr Ford's allies on the city council say they have lost confidence in him. | Meanwhile, even Mr Ford's allies on the city council say they have lost confidence in him. |
| Officials in Canada's largest city cannot legally remove Mr Ford unless he is convicted of a crime. | Officials in Canada's largest city cannot legally remove Mr Ford unless he is convicted of a crime. |
| More than 200 chanting demonstrators were gathered outside city hall as Mr Ford arrived for work shortly after midday on Wednesday. He entered his office via a back stairway. | More than 200 chanting demonstrators were gathered outside city hall as Mr Ford arrived for work shortly after midday on Wednesday. He entered his office via a back stairway. |
| 'Stubbornly refused' | 'Stubbornly refused' |
| City Councillor James Pasternak says he and several colleagues are asking Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly to approach Mr Ford again about resigning, in the hopes of a "dignified exit". | City Councillor James Pasternak says he and several colleagues are asking Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly to approach Mr Ford again about resigning, in the hopes of a "dignified exit". |
| Another councillor, Janet Davis, said the mayor had "stubbornly refused to listen to everyone across the city to step down". | Another councillor, Janet Davis, said the mayor had "stubbornly refused to listen to everyone across the city to step down". |
| "The mayor has got to come to the conclusion himself that he has to step down," she said on Wednesday. | "The mayor has got to come to the conclusion himself that he has to step down," she said on Wednesday. |
| Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has expressed concern about Mr Ford's personal issues, but she stopped short of calling on him to stand aside. | Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has expressed concern about Mr Ford's personal issues, but she stopped short of calling on him to stand aside. |
| City Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who serves on Mr Ford's executive council, is proposing a motion asking Mr Ford to take a leave of absence. | City Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who serves on Mr Ford's executive council, is proposing a motion asking Mr Ford to take a leave of absence. |
| He says he knows it is a symbolic move, but "the right thing to do is for council to take a clear position". | He says he knows it is a symbolic move, but "the right thing to do is for council to take a clear position". |
| "I remain concerned that there's more information that's going to come out," he told reporters. "I'm troubled by that and that it will hurt this city even further." | "I remain concerned that there's more information that's going to come out," he told reporters. "I'm troubled by that and that it will hurt this city even further." |
| On Wednesday, Canadian media reported that Brooks Barnett, a Ford police advisor, was no longer on the mayor's staff. | On Wednesday, Canadian media reported that Brooks Barnett, a Ford police advisor, was no longer on the mayor's staff. |
| Mr Ford's office did not offer details other than to confirm Mr Barnett's departure. | Mr Ford's office did not offer details other than to confirm Mr Barnett's departure. |
| In his public apology on Tuesday, Mr Ford said he was "embarrassed" by his behaviour, but vowed to run for re-election. | In his public apology on Tuesday, Mr Ford said he was "embarrassed" by his behaviour, but vowed to run for re-election. |
| "Folks, I have nothing left to hide," he said. "I would do anything, absolutely anything to change the past, but the past is the past and we must move forward." | "Folks, I have nothing left to hide," he said. "I would do anything, absolutely anything to change the past, but the past is the past and we must move forward." |
| The mayor has not been charged, but city police chief Bill Blair has said authorities are in possession of a video which apparently shows Mr Ford smoking crack. | The mayor has not been charged, but city police chief Bill Blair has said authorities are in possession of a video which apparently shows Mr Ford smoking crack. |
| Mr Blair has also said police are in possession of a second clip, but will not describe its contents. | Mr Blair has also said police are in possession of a second clip, but will not describe its contents. |
| The allegations of drug use first surfaced in May when journalists with the gossip website Gawker and the Toronto Star reported seeing the footage. | The allegations of drug use first surfaced in May when journalists with the gossip website Gawker and the Toronto Star reported seeing the footage. |
| It is unclear when the video of Mr Ford - described by the Toronto Star as "clearly impaired" and "incoherent and rambling" before smoking from the pipe - was shot. | |
| But it was recorded with a phone camera, suggesting it could not be more than a few years old. And in it Mr Ford expresses his distaste for Justin Trudeau, a young parliamentarian elevated to Liberal Party leader less than a month before reports of the video surfaced. | |
| Just over 1% of all Canadians 15 years or older used crack cocaine in the past year, according to a Health Canada survey quoted by broadcaster CBC. | Just over 1% of all Canadians 15 years or older used crack cocaine in the past year, according to a Health Canada survey quoted by broadcaster CBC. |
| But 80% of cocaine users said it would be "easy or very easy to get" the drug. | But 80% of cocaine users said it would be "easy or very easy to get" the drug. |