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Protestors at the Posie Parker rally in Auckland. Photo: RNZ/ Jordan Dunn
Police have charged a 20-year-old man with assault after an elderly woman was punched in the head during the Posie Parker counter-protest late last month.
Footage circulating on social media from the event showed a heated meeting of the two groups in Albert Park in central Auckland. A man can be seen striking a woman at least twice in the face.
Police said they could not provide any more information while the matter was before the court.
The charge comes nearly a month after British anti-transgender rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (also known as Posie Parker) had to abort her two-event New Zealand tour when her planned speech in Albert Park was drowned out by counter-protesters.
Keen-Minshull also had tomato juice poured on her by a protester after she walked on stage at the park's rotunda. She was later escorted away by police as the atmosphere became heated.
Posie Parker said she was “frightened” after she was doused with tomato juice. Photo: Stuff / Chris McKeen
Her presence in New Zealand was highly controversial. Before her arrival, an online petition was launched calling for her to be kept out of the country.
About 150-200 people showed up in support of her Let Women Speak event but they were dwarfed by a much larger group of about 2000 counter-protesters.
Earlier this month, the woman accused of throwing tomato juice at Keen-Minshull pleaded not guilty to two charges of assault.
Eliana Golberstein, also known as Eli Rubashkyn, 34, is charged with assaulting Keen-Minshull in Auckland on March 25.
She faces a second charge of assaulting another person on the same day.
The charges each carry a maximum term of six months' jail and a $4000 fine.
* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.
