Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday he is standing behind controversial remarks he made the day prior despite facing calls to apologize.
There is no indication from police at this time that any of the suspects involved were immigrants, as Ford appeared to suggest, adding: “Before you plan on moving to Canada — don’t come to Canada if you’re going to start terrorizing neighbourhoods like this.”
On Thursday afternoon, Ford said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he meant to stress “there is more that unites us than divides us.” Police later said it does not track and or disclose the immigration status of suspects or victims.
Ford told Media on Friday though that his phone is “blowing up” with people telling him he was “bang on.”
“I stick with what I said. We’re tired of lawlessness from anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re here, you’re new or whatever. It’s very, very clear. My phone is blowing up from every community saying, ‘You’re bang on,’” Ford said following an announcement in Brampton, Ont.
“Enough’s enough. Ninety-nine per cent of everyone gets along, and that’s what I believe in. There’s no premier ever that’s went on the news 10 million times (and said) I want more people coming to Canada. We need the people. I love every single community equally.”
Ford’s sharp comments on Thursday were made alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a news conference in Toronto, days after students and staff at Rabbi Yaacov Vidal of the Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School said they were shaken by the weekend shooting, but undeterred.Ford said his government has “zero tolerance” for these acts, no matter “what race, what religion you’re from.”