Posie Parker protest: Police charge man accused of punching elderly woman in the head

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, self-described as a women’s rights activist and 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 from Albert Park by police as the atmosphere became heated, a video filmed and posted by Keen-Minshull showed.

A group supporting Keen-Minshull said it was making a complaint to the Independent Police Conduct Authority regarding her safety at the event.

Her presence in New Zealand was highly controversial. Before her arrival, an online petition was launched calling for Keen-Minshull 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.

Eli Rubashkyn is facing two charges of assault. Photo / Supplied

They face a second charge of assaulting another person on the same day.

The charges each carry a maximum term of six months’ imprisonment and a $4000 fine.