A woman is bruised and shaken after a man attacked her with a metal pole at an Auckland pro-Palestine rally on Wednesday evening.
Protester Kerry Sorensen-Tyrer said the ordeal started when the man began confronting and yelling at the small number of pro-Palestine demonstrators on the Omahu Road overbridge in the suburb of Remuera at around 5:30pm.
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Sorensen-Tyrer told Newshub she decided to film the incident and wasn't expecting the reaction she got from the man.
A video of the attack has been sent to Newshub and shows Sorensen-Tyrer approaching the man.
A protester can be heard saying, "They're killing children" before the man responds saying "Yeah we'll kill all of them".
The man who is holding a pole, which Sorensen-Tyrer says he stole from one of the protesters who had put a flag on it, then hits Sorensen-Tyrer in the face.
Newshub has blurred the man in the video for legal reasons.
"To be honest, maybe I'm naive, but I wasn't expecting the reaction we got. Literally, it was all over in about 15 seconds," she told Newshub.
"He'd literally seen I was recording and launched at me with a pole.
The pole connected, with me and my phone, which, obviously the phone was the target and the phone knocked to the ground and he smacked me in the face with the pole.
"The attack left her shaken and bruised but relieved it wasn't worse.
"I suppose it could've been a lot worse. I was thinking it could've knocked my teeth out, poked me in the eye," Sorensen-Tyrer said.
"I think more than anything, it makes me just more determined than ever to fight for Palestine because this is nothing compared to what they are going through."
She told Newshub the attack wouldn't stop her from standing up and supporting Palestine.
"Everyone was so strong and brave and peaceful around me. If they wanted to, they could've sat on him or decked him, but no one did anything. I was upset and quite shaken, but I'm fine. I've got a bit of a bruise and a cut on the side of my mouth, it's nothing," Sorensen-Tyrer said.
She told Newshub she has pity for the man because he's going to "suffer" for this.
"I feel like he's just made people want to fight even more for the cause, I really do but I would want to yell at him too," Sorensen-Tyrer said.
"I don't want to take away from the fact that Palestine is the cause here. This is just a little blip and it's not that important and I just want people to remember what these people are going through and that my little incident was nothing in comparison."
Auckland City East Area Commander Inspector Jim Wilson told Newshub officers are investigating the assault.
"A man approached a group of protestors and an altercation has ensued between both parties," Insp Wilson said.
Another protester approached and began to film before being assaulted by the man and suffering a small laceration, police said.
The man fled from Omahu Rd towards Greenlane with police responding shortly afterwards to begin making enquiries in the area to locate him.
"At this stage the man has not been located, but Police are making enquiries including reviewing CCTV footage," Insp Wilson said.
"Anyone with information to assist our enquiries is asked to contact Police by calling 105 or going online to https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105, using 'Update My Report'.
"Please reference file number 240111/7752. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111."
