Gerry Brownlee was hit by a "lumpy ice cream brown substance" after today's Christchurch earthquake memorial service.
Brownlee 'bewildered' by heckler after memorial
Police have arrested a man who threw a brown substance on Minister Gerry Brownlee at the earthquake memorial service in Christchurch this afternoon.
The 41-year-old man has been charged with assault for the incident.
"It's just one little thing that mars an otherwise pretty successful memorial service I think," Mr Brownlee says.
"He's probably got issues, I don't know, it will come to light eventually exactly what it was all about and where he's from."
He didn't want to speculate what the substance was but said it wasn't very pleasant and it certainly wasn't ice cream.
An eyewitness says he was covered in some kind of "lumpy ice cream brown substance", which went down the front of his suit and down his face.
The man says Mr Brownlee looked annoyed and a bit bewildered after the incident.
Mr Brownlee was quickly escorted away after the incident as well as Prime Minister John Key.
The man is due to appear in Christchurch District Court tomorrow.
