Online backlash has erupted against a surprising target in the Vancouver SkyTrain coffee attack – the victim, which one equality rights lawyer calls concerning.

Earlier this week, SkyTrain officials released security camera footage that showed a 42-year-old woman bump into a man as she ran to catch an approaching train at a station in New Westminster on April 6.

In the video, the pair appeared to exchange words before the man threw a cup of coffee at the woman’s back when she turned to leave. When the woman approached the man to confront him, he pushed her and she fell on her back near the edge of the platform.

The woman was taken to hospital where she was treated for minor neck and back injuries and bruising.

Although transit police described the incident as an “unprovoked attack,” some online commenters have expressed a different opinion. In comments posted on Facebook, a number of users took issue with the woman’s conduct before the assault and even wrote that she got what she deserved.

“While I’m not condoning the man’s actions, the woman’s behaviour provoked the attack,” one comment reads. “Most people are in way too much of a rush these days. I am sure if she apologized for running into the man, his assault on her would’ve been avoided.”

“Did she say anything to get him mad?” another one questioned.

Many commenters pointed to the moment in the video where the woman turns to approach the man after he threw his coffee at her as evidence of aggression on her part.

“This woman is NO victim,” a post reads. “No person who fears for their safety would have responded like this.”

“It does look like she aggressively comes at him after coffee toss,” another comment said. “I kind of doubt it was unprovoked.”

Psychologist Joti Samra told CTV Vancouver that viewers are focusing on that one moment in order to explain what happened because the woman “challenges our ideas of what a victim would look like.”

The comments are worrisome to Zahra Jimale, a legal advocacy and equality rights lawyer, who suggested the backlash is part of a wider problem.

“Women unfortunately are the recipients of gender-based violence at a higher rate than men are,” she said on Thursday. “It’s driven by society. It’s driven by culture and values and world views.”

Despite the conversations online, both Samra and Jimale agree that the accidental bump or words between the man and woman didn’t justify any violence.

“There’s a difference between words being exchanged and an act of physical violence that has a potential to hurt, harm or even kill somebody,” Samra said.

Transit Police Sgt. Clint Hampton said they have received a “handful of tips” on the incident since the security video was released. The suspect is described as a white man in his mid-30s who is about six feet tall with a medium build, short black hair and possibly blue eyes. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with white designs on the sleeves and jeans.

Anyone with information about the suspect or the assault is asked to called transit police at 604-516-7419 and refer to file number 18-6202.

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s David Molko