A group of senior citizens who were attacked during a protest in Pawling is asking police to upgrade their alleged attacker's charges in order to set an example that discourages political violence.

"She was hurting that lady, she hurt another lady and came after me," said protester Diane Cesta, 73, about the Jan. 10 incident.

She said her accused attacker, Annette Strehle, 52 of Pawling, should be facing assault charges, instead of the two criminal mischief charges that were filed Monday by New York State Police.

Cesta said during an interview at her dining room table she has been struggling to sleep and having nightmares about the attack.

"The mental and emotional trauma has been so intense," she said. "I was hurt. Maybe I didn't end up with a broken leg but I think what happened to us was a lot worse."

Cesta was part of a small group protesting actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers along Route 22 when Strehle, who is pro-ICE, exited her car to confront them, as seen on cellphone video shared anonymously with News 12.

Rewatching the video Cesta pointed to the moment Strehle appears to grab her, fling her phone into the woods and push Cesta to the ground.

Strehle has admitted to purposefully breaking the eyeglasses of one of the protesters.

"My super was kind enough to glue the frames back together," Cesta said, holding her scuffed-up glasses.

In the video, Strehle appears to shove down another senior citizen protestor before walking back across two lanes of traffic to her car.

The protesters have been writing to local elected officials to ask them to join their push for upgraded charges an to spread their story.

"I think it behooves people to see it's even falling into a small community like this," Cesta said. "A few senior citizens who go out once or twice a month [to protest] are not safe."

Reached by phone Thursday, Strehle said the protesters provoked her into leaving her car to engage with them, and insisted she was not violent.

Strehle is also trying to build her own support system as court proceedings against her begin with her arraignment in Pawling Court on Feb. 10.

"I feel like I'm being targeted right now," Strehle said so I'm calling everybody for help. I left a message for the mayor. I called a couple lawyers to tell them what's going on."

Cesta said that after the cellphone video surfaced a State Police investigator told her it is possible more charges could be filed against Strehle.

The protesters have requested State Police to be at the intersection of East Main Street and Route 22 this Saturday afternoon when they go back out to demonstrate against ICE.

A state police spokesperson told News 12 in an email she could not speak in detail about security plans, but said the agency plans to "ensure public safety while respecting everyone's right to peacefully assemble."

A spokesperson for Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said the office is evaluating the cellphone video along with other evidence, and has not yet made a determination whether to upgrade Strehle's charges.

Strehle's arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 10.

If her charges were to be upgraded to assault, a conviction would likely lead to a toucher sentence since it involved alleged victims over the age of 65.