Journalists at the scene said that thousands were in attendance at Thomson Memorial Park in Scarborough, Ont. when a so-called "Queeruption" arrived and was subjected to insults and physical force from people at the scene.
LGBTQ T.O. looking forward for #FordFest to remind #MayorRobFord We matter. #FordFestQueeruption #toronto pic.twitter.com/dGtXfv2RWK
— Poe Liberado (@poeliberado) July 25, 2014The group's leader, activist Poe Liberado, told CP24 that the protest had a "really hateful" reception at the event.
"We are told to go home, we are told ‘Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve’ and other hateful slurs," she told the network.
Twitter users also circulated a photo of a man with his hand on the neck of another attendant who wore a rainbow flag around his shoulders.
Ford Nation: This is a crime. #topoli pic.twitter.com/SSUexuRqcJ
— Daniel (@DanFmTo) July 26, 2014The Toronto police said they were looking into the matter.
Various social media users tweeted from the park as a confrontation heated up between protesters and other attendants.
A handful of brave protesters hold a "queeruption." Keep their cool amidst predictably loud, hostile, occasionally bigoted reaction.
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014"Rob Ford!" and "Ford the best!" are popular cheers for shouting down protestors. Now "Four more years!"
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014"NO MORE GRAVY TRAIN! NO MORE GRAVY TRAIN!"
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014And finally... "Go home! Go home! Go home!"
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014'Go home': LGBTQ members greeted by angry shouts at #FordFest http://t.co/ZNlfde5Fy0 pic.twitter.com/zVOBd30B2R
— CTV Toronto (@CTVToronto) July 26, 2014The protesters' unnervingly collected leader is @poeliberado.
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014"We are willing to subject ourselves to this in order to make out presence known," says LGBTQ activist Poe pic.twitter.com/bFHffBJZn7
— Ann Hui (@annhui) July 25, 2014"We are not going to stand for Rob Ford to be pulling back our rights," Poe says
— Ann Hui (@annhui) July 25, 2014Now the inevitable confrontation between the Queeruption and anti-gay activist / Ford fan Iola Fontino.
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014"When Ford does not attend WorldPride, which is equivalent to Sodom and Gomorrah, he is speaking for the silent majority!"
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014That was the first time I've ever seen a Ford event devolve into the outright bigoted hatred they've always seemed capable of.
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014It gets violent as a man tears a placard from a protestor's hands, rips it up. Others stomp on it, shred it
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014Crowd cheers as man rips up sign LGBT protesters brought to Ford Fest. #TOpoli
— Shawn Jeffords (@Shawn_Jeffords) July 25, 2014The guys with LGBT signs just had their signs ripped up. Crowd cheers. #topoli #fordfest pic.twitter.com/P0UQ1GYzB5
— Peter Kim (@PeterKimGlobal) July 25, 2014I missed it, but @goldsbie says the demonstrators' signs were torn out of their hands, ripped up, jumped on #FordFest pic.twitter.com/rbwONOtbxQ
— Siobhan Morris (@siomo) July 25, 2014A few LGBTQ activists surrounded by a mob. Their signs getting ripped up as crowd shouts "Rob Ford! Rob Ford" pic.twitter.com/18nI9PGbpu
— Ann Hui (@annhui) July 25, 2014A man violently shoves one of them. An elderly veteran Ford fan steps in, pulls the guy off, tries to tell people to calm down.
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014This is by far the ugliest of all the many ugly Ford-related confrontations I've covered.
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014LGBTQ activist says he was punched in the face by a Ford supporter. He's now talking to police
— Ann Hui (@annhui) July 25, 2014Officer now escorting a protester through the crowd. #TOpoli
— Shawn Jeffords (@Shawn_Jeffords) July 25, 2014Police walking Ford protestor to a safer place. Away from park. #fordfest pic.twitter.com/9JtRhOLQkc
— Ross McLean (@RossMcleanSec) July 25, 2014Man says he was assaulted by ford supporter. Won't press charges because he doesn't know who it was #topoli #fordfest pic.twitter.com/9OIEK3Rpuf
— Peter Kim (@PeterKimGlobal) July 25, 2014Mayor's chief of staff just came over to talk to activists, said he wanted to make sure they were ok
— Ann Hui (@annhui) July 25, 2014The activists are still here, staying on principle. Calm again. Ford chief of staff Dan Jacobs comes over to make sure they're okay.
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 25, 2014Man who was "punched" clarifies that he was not in fact "punched" but rather pushed in the head with an open palm, knocking his hat off.
— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) July 26, 2014Mayoral candidates Karen Stintz and Sarah Thomson also showed up at Ford Fest. Stintz arrived wearing a campaign shirt.
Ran into mayoral candidate Karen Stintz who has arrived at Ford Fest. #onpoli pic.twitter.com/FxObRNRVmt
— Shawn Jeffords (@Shawn_Jeffords) July 25, 2014Meanwhile, Thomson arrived on a horse.
Thomson says she's not here to campaign. "I'm just horsing around." #FordFest pic.twitter.com/jRjXCHvUfO
— Sammy Hudes (@SammyHudes) July 25, 2014Like this article? Follow our Facebook pageOr follow us on TwitterFollow @HuffPostCanada