Trans rights activist convicted and discharged after dumping tomato juice on Posie Parker
Tuesday, 3 September 2024
Eli Rubashkyn poured tomato juice over activist Posie Parker in 2023.
The incident took place at Auckland’s Albert Park, where Parker planned to address supporters at a Let Woman Speak event.
Judge Kirsten Lummis convicted and discharged Rubashkyn.
A trans rights protester who poured tomato juice on controversial women’s rights activist Posie Parker has been convicted and discharged.
Eli Rubashkyn previously pleaded guilty to assault after they poured tomato juice over Parker - also known as Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull - and another woman at Auckland’s Albert Park in March 2023.
Parker, had planned to address supporters at her Let Woman Speak event held at the park’s band rotunda.
Instead, thousands of trans rights supporters surrounded the rotunda and used their voices and various instruments in attempt to drown out Parker’s voice.
But before she could speak, Rubashkyn, who is intersex, poured a one litre bottle of tomato juice over Parker’s head, leaving her clothing and blonde hair stained red.
Parker abandoned the event following the incident and left the country the same day.
Rubashkyn earlier pleaded guilty to two charges of assault.
At their sentencing at the Auckland District Court, defence lawyer James Olsen asked Judge Kirsten Lummis to discharge Rubashkyn without conviction.
He argued that Rubashkyn had an otherwise clean record and admitted they took their protesting too far.
“This is someone who stood by her convictions… She was exercising a protected right, but went too far.”
They had received death threats in relation to the incident and lost their job.
Olsen added that Rubashkyn had a difficult upbringing, which included being assaulted for her sexuality and gender identity, which prompted her to move to New Zealand as a refugee in 2024.
“She was dealt a very bad-handed life.”
Judge Lummis said it did not appear Rubashkyn had much remorse, given she gave media interviews shortly after the incident.
She convicted Rubashkyn, but discharged them, meaning they will not serve time for the assaults.
Rubashkyn, who on court documents is named as Eliana Golberstein, had earlier unsuccessfully sought to have the charges dismissed.
According to the summary of facts, Rubashkyn’s intention was to prevent Parker from speaking.
The second victim was hugging Parker at the time and was also doused with the juice.
“When that liquid hit my head, my first thought was that it was acid and I waited for my skin to burn,” she said in her victim impact statement.
She felt “terror, disgust and violation” at having an unknown substance poured over her.
“It was only when I smelt and tasted tomato that I knew what it was.
“I care about my rights as a woman who can stand in public and freely speak unimpeded by the actions of someone who disagrees with me.”
Neither Parker nor the other woman were injured by the tomato juice.
They told Stuff in the days after the incident that they chose tomato juice because it was a non-violent way of making Parker miserable.
“She deserves to feel so bad as a person.”
The news that Parker would be bringing her controversial Let Women Speak event to New Zealand prompted outcry from the rainbow community, who campaigned for her visa to be denied.