A local pro-choice advocate says she had a bucket of red paint thrown at her outside a Tim Horton's on Tuesday.

The alleged assault is being investigated as a hate crime, said Waterloo Regional Police.

The woman was planning to meet someone at the Charles and Borden location around lunch time on Tuesday.

That's when she was approached by man who first asked her name then threw a bucket of red paint in her face and yelled "murderer" before walking away.

SHORE centre ups security

CBC news has spoken with the woman, who said she is feeling overwhelmed in the days following the alleged assault.

The can of paint broke blood vessels in one eye and left her with blurred vision, but she said she's physically fine, otherwise. She believes the paint was latex.

The SHORE Centre, formerly Planned Parenthood Waterloo Region, decided to step security up a notch as a precaution following the incident.

In a tweet, the centre said the front door of its Kitchener location will now be locked until police conclude their investigation.

Tues. aft. a pro-choice supporter was attacked with red paint and called a murderer outside of a Tim Horton's in Kitchener. We have not received any threats or had any concerns at our location, but have locked our door as a precaution until the police investigation is concluded. —@SHORECentreWR

Waterloo NDP MPP Catherine Fife extended her condolences to the woman.

Fife tweeted she was "very disturbed to hear that a local pro-choice advocate was assaulted because of her work concerning women's reproductive health."

I was very disturbed to hear that a local pro-choice advocate was assaulted because of her work concerning women's reproductive health. I hope that <a href="https://twitter.com/WRPSToday?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WRPSToday</a> is able to find and hold the assailant accountable. <a href="https://twitter.com/SHORECentreWR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SHORECentreWR</a> —@CFifeKW Thank you for your support <a href="https://twitter.com/CFifeKW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CFifeKW</a> . <a href="https://twitter.com/WRPSToday?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WRPSToday</a> had two officers stop by this afternoon to check in with us. <a href="https://t.co/qFceFNNAzV">https://t.co/qFceFNNAzV</a> —@LyndseyButcher

Waterloo Regional Police said it was working with its intelligence branch and asks any person who might have information about the incident to call police at 519-570-9777 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.