A picture posted online by two PC MPPs showing Ford Fest – an annual event organized by the party – seems to have been altered to make it look like protesters were actually supporters, according to an analysis from CBC’s Fact Check team.
Images from the festival, which was held last Friday at Thomson Memorial Park in Scarborough, were shared over the weekend by Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey and MPP for Scarborough Centre David Smith on the social media platform X.
One of the images presents an aerial shot of a crowd near the festival stage, displaying what seems to be mainly blue shirts in favor of the PC party.
However, CBC reporters on site observed many members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) in that area wearing purple T-shirts stating “Worth Fighting For,” just moments before Ford was scheduled to give a speech.
CBC reporters present at the festival noticed OPSEU members turning their backs, booing and chanting as Ford along with cabinet and caucus members took the stage. Ford delivered a roughly 10-minute speech using a teleprompter, but it was difficult to hear him over the chants.
‘Standard and routine practice’: Ford’s spokesperson
CBC’s visual investigations team compared the aerial image posted online with footage recorded by their own reporters on location as well as an Instagram account that documented OPSEU protests. Their findings showed through close-ups of people in the crowd that many wearing blue shirts were actually in OPSEU shirts featuring “Worth Fighting For” text.
The visual investigations team also looked closely at individuals in the photo against CBC footage, which indicated those same individuals were dressed in purple – not blue – shirts. CBC could not determine where exactly the photo shared by both MPPs came from.
WATCH | How CBC footage compares to Ford Fest photo shared by PC MPPs:
Critics say Ford Fest photo edited to show crowd of PC backers
After Ford Fest, a longstanding event run by Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party, officials within Premier Doug Ford’s government circulated a photo that seems edited to depict supporters backing PCs. CBC’s Lorenda Reddekopp was there that day – and shows how our footage matches up.
Downey addressed questions about this photo during an unrelated news conference on Monday.
“I sign off on all posts, quite frankly [I] looked at my phone and I didn’t see anything, [so] it went up,” he said.
“I just don’t think it’s of any consequence.”
Downey did not reveal who captured the photograph.
In an emailed statement, Hannah Jensen, spokesperson for the premier’s office, mentioned that besides applying a default color corrector, there were no alterations made to the aerial image shared online.
“Photos from Ford Fest, including the aerial shot posted by two MPPs, had default saturation applied to correct an orange hue. This type of colour correction is standard and routine practice,” she said.
NDP Opposition Leader Marit Stiles criticized the Ford government regarding this photo shortly after it gained attention online.
“Imagine getting booed at your own party, then editing the photos so the protesters look like fans,” she stated in a post on X Monday.
“This is a tired government, and it’s time to get them out of the way.”
This year’s Ford Fest took place near Scarborough Southwest riding, which is set for a provincial byelection following MPP Dolly Begum winning a federal byelection in that area back in April. p>
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