Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson was struck by a passing motorcycle this morning as she protested Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s rally event at Albert Park. Davidson was standing on Princes St holding a sign reading “trans solidarity” when a band of motorcyclists, there in support of Brian and Hannah Tamaki’s Vision NZ, drove through.

The motorcyclists revved their engines as they drove down the street, with protesters waving signs at them from the footpath. After half the bikes had driven past, Davidson stepped out onto the pedestrian crossing, holding her sign in one hand and motioning with her other hand for the bikers to stop. Footage seen by The Spinoff shows Davidson a few steps out on the pedestrian crossing as bikes continue to speed past her. Then, one bike appears to strike her, with its handlebar making contact with her stomach. Davidson recoiled and hunched over, clutching her stomach as she walked back to the protesters on the footpath, who helped her to the ground.

She filed a police report at the scene.

Davidson later spoke at the protest, though did not mention the incident. She was seen walking independently out of Albert Park and was assessed by emergency services shortly after.

The Greens have confirmed the incident in a statement. “The incident has been reported to police and Marama is seeing a doctor. Until police have confirmed their next steps, we will not be making further comment,” it said.

“This news is upsetting and we are asking people to show care and love.

 “We ask everyone to give Marama and her whānau some space and time to process what has happened.”

The noise began long before Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (AKA Posie Parker) arrived. Despite an 11am scheduled start time to her planned rally to “speak for women”, the Albert Park rotunda was surrounded by 10.30. But the crowd was not there to see or hear her.

A truck parked at the entrance blasted the best of the protest hits. Signs were out – some colourful, others blazoned with colourful language. Sirens blasted, whistles blew, dozens of UE Booms played their own tunes simultaneously. Police were stationed and ready, and an area had been sectioned off for those there to hear what Keen-Minshull had to say. There were about 30 in that group, not enough to fill out the section, and they stood silently as the noise surrounded them.

After a week of heavy media coverage and debate over free speech vs hate speech, Keen-Minshull was granted entry into the country after tensions rose in Melbourne when neo-Nazis were shown performing the Nazi salute alongside her rally. Keen-Minshull is a “women’s rights” activist who travels the world holding public events to speak about the dangers she says women face from trans people. She was expected to speak for three hours to whoever would listen.

She arrived at Albert Park flanked by security, who cleared a path for her through the protesters and helped her up onto the rotunda. The noise only got louder as the crowd surged forward, filling the cordoned section until it was impossible to tell who was actually there to support Keen-Minshull.

She spent a few moments filming the crowd, smiling. When she attempted to speak, the sirens blasted and the yelling intensified and she couldn’t be heard. After 10 minutes of intermittent smiling and noiseless speaking, she gave up. By then, the crowd had grown again, reaching back to the fountain and onto the road.

Surrounded by her security team and a dozen police officers, Keen-Minshull left. It was a 100 metre walk to her police car escort and the crowd followed her all the way, chanting “go home, Posie”. She is scheduled to speak in Wellington tomorrow and an equally vocal crowd is expected to be in attendance.

All up, Keen-Minshull spent 24 minutes at her three-hour rally. She tried to speak but no one was listening.