B.C. councillor blames ‘extremists’ after blackface photo surfaces [Video]

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A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of “extremists” and “politically motivated hackers” is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.

Colwood Coun. Ian Ward on Monday addressed the photo in a statement on his X account after the picture, which was originally published on a personal family blog, surfaced on social media in recent days.

Ward acknowledged he posed for the photo wearing a Washington Bullets basketball jersey, a gold chain and a wig, with his teeth coloured gold and his hands and face painted black.

“It is embarrassing, and I offer no defence other than to say times change, and people change,” Ward wrote in the statement accusing “anonymous antisemitic, anti-law enforcement, leftist extremists” of exposing the nearly 17-year-old picture.