Controversial British anti-transgender activist Posie Parker says she will return to New Zealand after she fled the country following a chaotic end to her rally in Auckland.
Parker, whose real name is Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull, held a rally in Auckland's Albert Park last weekend as part of her Let Women Speak tour. A larger counter-protest was also in attendance.
Pushing started between both sides, and a small fight broke out as the activist made her way through the barricade to speak to the crowd. Tomato juice was thrown over Parker and she was quickly escorted out of the venue by her security guards after being rushed and sprayed with water.
Parker later announced she was cancelling her Wellington rally and caught a flight back home.
However, it may not be Parker's final stint in New Zealand.
"We are going to win this war, women and then I will come back," Parker said on Twitter.
She then said she expects Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to make an "all-out apology to everyone".
"I mean he will apologise and if it's not him it will be the next Prime Minister because he is not going to last, he's a gutless coward," she said.
Hipkins has condemned the level of physical violence shown during protests.
"I don't believe people should throw things at a protest, whether what they're throwing is a soup or a brick," he told reporters during a post-Cabinet press conference.
"Ultimately, the right to free speech does not extend to the right to physical violence, and so I would condemn that, regardless of who's engaging in that type of activity."
However, he acknowledged that most people at the protest exercised their right to free speech respectfully.
"I think that is something we should celebrate. As I've said, I'll never support people who resort to violence."
Meanwhile Police told Newshub on Thursday the person who threw tomato juice at Parker has been summoned to appear in the Auckland District Court on a single charge of common assault.
The tomato juice douser, LGBTQIA+ activist Eli Rubashkyn, who has left the country according to their social media, has denied the act was assault.
"It was not assault, it was literally juice," Rubashkyn told Cuetone Media.
Rubashkyn also said they were beaten by Parker's supporters after throwing the tomato juice.
"They took me over, dropped me to the floor. As I was getting down somebody beat me in the head and then they started spitting on me… and somebody was stepping on me," Rubashkyn said.
Since the protest, Rubashkyn has been receiving hate messages on social media - including death threats.
However, Rubashkyn has no remorse over the counter-protest, saying the love of New Zealand was witnessed on Saturday as thousands marched in support of transgender people.
"I achieved everything I wanted to do, and I want tomatoes to be a symbol of trans liberation, trans intersex and non-binary liberation. That's what I want," Rubashkyn told Cuetone Media.
