South Australia's premier was repeatedly struck in the face during a "brutal" bashing at a corporate dinner, witnesses say.
Premier Mike Rann says he's "fine" after a man hit him in the face up to six times with a rolled up magazine in Adelaide last night.
Mr Rann was attacked from behind while seated at a table at a $600 a head business function.
The assailant, a 55-year-old man from Burnside, has been charged with aggravated assault and will appear in court in December.
The man was detained by guests including Barrie Harrop, who placed the attacker in a headlock moments after he struck the premier.
"This guy was very aggressive and beating the premier up. It was a pretty brutal exercise,'' Mr Harrop told ABC radio today.
Another guest, Mike O'Reilly, said it was a "very, very nasty incident".
"Real intent was being shown," Mr O'Reilly said.
"I saw somebody brandishing what looked like a rolled up magazine but almost like a cudgel and holding it so and sort of raining down and bashing (the premier).
"That was when a couple of people leapt up and started grappling with this guy.
"There was eventually five or six people all over him as I was dialling triple zero and ringing the police."
Mr Rann, who suffered bruising and a cut to his face, has yet to comment publicly on the incident.
But the premier posted a message on his twitter website saying: "I'm fine. Thanks for all the messages."
Mr O'Reilly said the premier's injuries were obvious.
"He had very large red mark on his cheek, his upper cheek and also some marks on the side of his face,'' Mr O'Reilly said.
Mr Harrop was seated at the premier's table at the function at the National Wine Centre when the attacker entered the room.
"This guy came in and screamed at the premier," Mr Harrop said.
"The premier turned around and he started beating the premier in the face with this rolled up magazine probably five or six times, very hard slams in the face.
"I immediately jumped up and put him in a headlock and he started going for cutlery.
"He kind of started developing this super-human strength, he was a pretty solid guy, probably about 90 kilograms ... quite strong.
"There was no way I was going to let him go.''
Mr Harrop, a 63-year-old executive director of Windesal Ltd, said about five guests were needed to hold the man.
"He took some subduing, I tell you," Mr Harrop said.
