N.S. mayor says ongoing threats, harassment could impact next generation of politicians

Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood talks about how politicians are harassed and intimidated online.

Pam Mood, the mayor of Yarmouth, N.S., recently announced she will block abusive online comments and she says it’s a decision she wishes she’d made years ago.

“I have no problem with a difference of opinions, but to actively use abusive words…nobody should put up with that,” Mood told CTV News Atlantic’s Todd Battis.

“I just said no more.”

Mood, who has served as mayor in Yarmouth for 14 years, said harassment and death threats against Nova Scotia politicians have spiked in recent years.

“I feel like everyone has just let loose,” she said. “Folks think they can say what they want. There’s a difference between free speech and abuse and harassment and certainly death threats.”

Mood said she’s concerned about the future of politics in Nova Scotia if the threats and harassment go unaddressed.

“My fear is for the future of these positions,” she said. “Every day I have someone call and say they’d love to do this, but they would never step foot in that nest, and I can’t blame them.

“The hate and threats need to stop. That will take some work to figure out.”

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