Updated 5:15pm: A 41-year-old man has been charged with assault, believed to be relation to an incident involving Gerry Brownlee at Christchurch's memorial service this afternoon.

The man will appear in the Christchurch District Court tomorrow.

There was an ugly incident involving Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee at the end of the service to commemorate the five year anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake.

A man walked out of the crowd and tipped a container over the Minister's head.

Gerry Brownlee said it took him by surprise.

"It was just a guy who just walked up at the end of the Memorial service and said this is for you."

Brownlee said he tipped a 2 litre ice cream container full of "pretty mucky stuff over my head."

He added that he wouldn't like to speculate what was in the container, but it "didn't smell too good."

Afterwards he had to leave for home to get cleaned up, and thanked an un-mamed woman who helped him get clean enough to get in the car.

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