Police swoop upon Mosman Art Gallery after replica firearm alleged at Nick Xenophon Warringah candidate forum
POLICE in bulletproof vests surrounded Mosman Art Gallery after a report a gun-toting man was at a Nick Xenophon Team politics forum there.
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DRAMATIC scenes unfolded in Mosman last night, when armed police wearing bulletproof vests swarmed a politics forum in an art gallery, after a report that a gun-toting man was inside.
No shots were fired and police arrested a man, whom it’s alleged was carrying a replica firearm.
The Mosman Daily understands he’s since been charged with gun offences.
The drama happened at Mosman Art Gallery during a public forum for a Nick Xenophon Team candidate, Marie Rowland.
Ms Rowland, who is running for the seat of Warringah at the July 2 election, began the event about 7.30pm, speaking to about 40 people gathered in a small room inside the gallery.
Police received a report which alleged a man in attendance was carrying an object which appeared to be a firearm.
Marked police cars and uniform police officers wearing bulletproof vests surrounded the building about 45 minutes into the forum.
The forum took a break and police officers subsequently arrested a man at the art gallery about 8.30pm.
The forum continued after the incident.
Ms Rowland thanked police officers, her campaign staffers and members of the public for handling the situation well.
She said she aimed to keep people calm when police arrived and told the forum that police presence was part of normal procedure.
“I said: ‘Now we are in election time police are making their presence a little bit more felt, they are coming and doing routine checks,’ this is how I worded it,” she said.
“I later apologised to everyone for the distress and explained to everyone what had happened.
“It could have indeed escalated.”
The Mosman Daily understands police officers charged the man with firearms-related offences and he will face court at a later date.
A spokesman for Mosman Council, which owns the public art gallery, declined to comment.
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