Ihumātao protest: Woman who racially abused cop 'probably would apologise'

The woman who racially abused a police officer at Ihumātao says she might apologise if she sees him again.

Anikaaro Harawira-Havili posted video of the incident on Facebook on Monday, where she told an officer that appeared to be of south Asian descent to leave the country.

"Another foreigner occupying our whenua in Aotearoa and then not even letting us on our own. F**k off back to your own country," she said.

At the time Harawira-Havili was unrepentant. She posted on Facebook on Tuesday to confirm she abused officers, but she does not apologise "at all".

On Friday she admitted an apology may be in order.

"I can honestly admit I obviously overreacted. I was totally in the hype and anger of the moment," she told Stuff.

"If I saw the police officer face to face, I probably would apologise." 

Hundreds of people are currently occupying land in Ihumātao, fighting a planned 480-house subdivision that will be built on land believed to be sacred.

Tensions at the protest skyrocketed on Monday when extra police officers were deployed to the site, which a police spokesperson said was due to suggestions protesters were planning on trespassing.

Things are said to have boiled over into a scuffle and protest leader Pania Newton says she was pushed over, although police reject those claims.

Newshub.