Prime minister was at Country Women’s Association event when protester launched an egging

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A 24-year-old woman has been charged with common assault after she egged the Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, on Tuesday.

The PM was on the election campaign trail at an event in Albury when the woman approached him and attempted to crack an egg on the back of his head. However, television footage showed the egg bouncing off his head without breaking, before she was dragged away by security.

Labor continues to lead Coalition 52-48 in latest Guardian Essential poll Read more

Morrison was struck by her hand and an elderly woman was knocked to the ground in the scuffle, but police said nobody was injured.

Reporters at the scene retrieved the egg, which had not broken.

Dan Conifer 🗳 (@DanConifer) A protester thrown an egg the Prime Minister Scott Morrison at an event in Albury (it didn’t break). #auspol #ausvotes ⁦@politicsabc⁩ pic.twitter.com/7KYWbKrrun

Slow motion footage of the egg showed that it bounced off Morrison’s head.

Nine News Queensland (@9NewsQueensland) WATCH: This is the moment a young protester attempted to egg the Prime Minister. #9News pic.twitter.com/K84U72KK6v

In a statement, New South Wales police confirmed that they had arrested the woman.

“Officers from the Murray River police district placed the woman under arrest after she allegedly threw an egg at the prime minister during a Country Women’s Association event at Albury entertainment centre,” a spokesman said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The woman who attempted to egg Scott Morrison is spoken to at the Country Women’s Association event in Albury. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

“The egg appears to have struck the prime minister on the head. The prime minister’s security team quickly restrained the woman. In the act of detaining her, another woman in attendance was knocked over. No injuries have been reported.”

The prime minister later tweeted that he condemned “thuggery” from “cowardly activists”. “My concern about today’s incident in Albury was for the older lady who was knocked off her feet,” he said.

Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) We will stand up to thuggery whether it’s these cowardly activists who have no respect for anyone, or militant unionists standing over small businesses and their employees on work sites.

While Morrison linked the protester to “idiots who are invading farms” and “militant unionists”, the woman said she was protesting against the government’s treatment of asylum seekers on Manus Island.

Carrying a six-pack of eggs, she told reporters outside the event that Morrison “deserved it” and she did not intend for the older woman to be knocked over.

Sally McManus, the secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, rejected Morrison’s reference to “militant unionists”.

Sally McManus (@sallymcmanus) How dare you accuse us of this & make the association. You seem to have no respect for the truth or any concern about running down your fellow Australians. We would never support such behaviour https://t.co/4N9BhKPa2E

Opposition leader Bill Shorten also condemned the egging as “appalling and disgraceful behaviour”.

“In Australia we have violence-free elections. People are allowed to protest peacefully, but anything approaching violence is completely unacceptable. The prime minister has my complete sympathy, and of course the lady who got knocked down in the process.”

Morrison is the second politician to be egged in recent weeks, after far-right senator Fraser Anning was egged in March by a 17-year-old boy, who he then punched twice.

Rick Morton (@SquigglyRick) CWA, where the scones are leading and the leaders get sconed

The 24-year-old woman is due to appear at Albury local court on 27 May.