A far-right Australian senator had to be restrained by security officials after punching a young man protesting his offensive comments about the mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Queensland Senator Fraser Anning drew international condemnation for his efforts to blame the attack on Friday that killed 49 Muslim worshippers on immigration.

Amid the controversy, an unnamed young man slapped an egg on the back of Anning’s head during a news conference in Melbourne on Saturday, prompting the senator to hit him in the face repeatedly before being stopped by what appeared to be a security guard.

In a statement on Friday, Anning had said the attack which killed the worshippers in the southern New Zealand city was the result of Muslim immigration into the country.

Someone has just slapped an egg on the back of Australian Senator Fraser Anning's head, who immediately turned around and punched him in the face. @politicsabc @abcnews pic.twitter.com/HkDZe2rn0X — Henry Belot (@Henry_Belot) March 16, 2019

Prime Minister Scott Morrison described Anning’s comments as “appalling” and “ugly” with “no place in Australia”, as he announced a bipartisan motion of censure would be launched.

UPDATE: The boy who egged disgraced Senator Fraser Anning has been released by @VictoriaPolice without charge. @7NewsMelbourne — Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) March 16, 2019

Anning was elected in 2017 by a fluke of Australia’s proportional voting system, having received only 19 first preference votes.

He is unlikely to be re-elected when Australia holds next elections, expected in May.