A feast at Tonga Hou’eiki Church, held this afternoon to celebrate the opening of its new hall in Tongatapu, descended into chaos after a woman was allegedly attacked for taking food from the feast tables without permission.

Screenshot from a video circulating online shows the moment a woman is grabbed by the neck and forced to the ground by a security guard during a church feast.

Footage circulating online appears to show a woman being grabbed by the neck and slammed to the ground by what appeared to be a security guard.

In a separate footage, the woman is seen interacting with a different man after an apparent attempt to take food. The man approaches, confronts her, and pulls her from her chair. The woman stands and resists, though the confrontation does not escalate further.

The footage also appears to indicate that she approached what was reported to be a front table reserved for VIP guests and took food from it.

One of the videos reviewed by Kaniva News appears to show the woman attempting to take food, while a girl seems to be assisting her, before a person—wearing a hi-vis jacket and reported to be a security guard—approaches and appears to attack her.

The incident occurred while a man was delivering a speech during the celebration.

He was overheard urging calm, reportedly referring to the altercation.

It remains unclear whether police were called to the scene following the incident.

Kaniva News was unable to verify the authenticity of the videos independently.

Witnesses claim the altercation began when the woman attempted to fill a bag with food from one of the feasting tables without permission.

The videos have divided opinion on social media, with many questioning the use of force at a religious event, while others criticised the woman for engaging in kaifa‘o—a traditional practice of eating and taking food from tables to bring home for later meals.

“She was so disrespectful,” one user wrote, criticising the woman’s actions on Facebook.

Another defended her, saying, “She was just following our tradition—there was no need for violence.”

One commenter suggested that security guards should have assessed the woman’s psychological condition before using force against her.

“She should have waited until everyone else had the opportunity to eat before taking food away,” one commenter said.