'Lefty' student reporter 'disappointed' after being booted from Ford rally

A London-based student reporter and lefty activist says he's 'disappointed' after being turfed out of a Doug Ford rally Wednesday night.

Mike Roy said he'd shown up at the event, press pass in hand, to livestream the proceedings and potentially gather material for the weekly talk show he hosts at Western University's campus radio station, CHRW.

But just as the rally was getting under way, Roy said he was asked to leave, and wasn't told why. He recorded a video of the incident and posted it to Facebook. 

"It's not keeping up with what they're saying they're all about," said Roy. "If they're all about free speech or freedom of the press and that sort of thing, then why are you kicking folks out?"

During a second media appearance Thursday morning, CBC asked Doug Ford about the incident. Ford said the Tories welcome the press.

"We've been open to the press every single event, every single day," said Ford. "I don't know who it was but I'll look into it by all means."

In response to a follow-up email from CBC, Ford's spokesperson said that no one from CHRW had contacted the party, and that PC rallies are open to anyone "who wants to join and hear about the PC plan for a better Ontario."

Indeed, CHRW had not reached out to the Tories prior to the event. Station manager Andrew Barton said that although Roy does volunteer with the station, he had not been assigned to cover the rally and had not gone through the station's accreditation process.

He said the press pass that Roy brought to the event was expired. 

Barton said he only heard about the situation when he received a call from London North Centre PC candidate Susan Truppe's campaign staff asking if Roy was still an active volunteer with CHRW.

"I confirmed that ... but when I tried to find out exactly what the reason they were calling for, I didn't really get anything," said Barton.

Truppe's campaign staff has not yet responded to a request for comment. 

'Doesn't make a lick of sense,' media strategist says

Roy said he doesn't know why he was kicked out of the event, but said he guesses it may have had something to do with his politics. He makes no bones about the fact that he leans left.

Roy has also been a regular fixture on London's protest circuit, and has acted as both a volunteer reporter and an activist in the past. He said he would have been happy to answer questions about his intentions at the event, if he'd had the chance. 

"If somebody had asked me what I was there for, if they had some concerns, I would've given them an answer and I would've seen that as a justifiable question for sure," he said.

According to veteran political reporter and strategist Richard "Badger" Brennan, Roy's past shouldn't have mattered. 

"He may or may not be annoying, but the point is he didn't do anything, he got turfed out of the meeting because they didn't think he should be there," said Brennan. 

"It doesn't make a lick of sense, and all you're doing is aggravating people for no particular reason."

Instead, best practice in politics is to assume that reporters check their personal baggage at the door, Brennan said. 

"If he doesn't you can say, 'Look young man, I'm not answering any more of your questions, you've obviously come here with your mind made up so let's move on to the next reporter.' That's how you do it."