Anthony Albanese locked out of Sydney electorate office by anti-war protests

The Prime Minister’s office in his Sydney seat has not been used since January because of safety fears for staff, amid security warnings that Islamist extremists are attending demonstrations.

Protests at Anthony Albanese’s electorate office. Picture: X

Anthony Albanese has been locked out of his Sydney electorate office this year because of pro-Palestinian protests, amid official security warnings that Islamist extremists are attending anti-­Israel demonstrations on university campuses and outside parliamentarians’ offices.

The Prime Minister’s Marrickville office has not been used since January because of fears for the safety of staff from continuous protests from pro-Palestinian demonstrators and warnings from federal police.

Security around Mr Albanese, other MPs and in Parliament House has been tightened since late last year after the Hamas terror attacks on Israel in October and the conflict in Gaza sparked protests and vandalism at MPs’ offices and even in parliament.

Parliamentarians requested a security briefing from the AFP and ASIO as concerns rose about protests and security. The Australian understands there was formal advice Islamist extremists and political activists were appearing together at university campus protests around the nation, outside ministerial offices and at public demonstrations.

The official advice was that there could be co-ordination between extremists and political activists, and they were certainly appearing together at protests and demonstrations.

One aspect of the security concerns was the ability of the groups to organise flash protests when the Prime Minister was at a venue, even a private one.

A Pro-Palestine protest outside the electoral office of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese located. Picture: X

Mr Albanese has raised the ­security concerns with Peter Dutton as late as Tuesday afternoon in parliament.

Tensions between Labor and the Greens over the war in Gaza also deepened on Tuesday after Mr Albanese denounced the “blockade” at electorate offices of Labor MPs, which he said was being supported by Greens senators and state Greens.

During a Labor caucus meeting in which three of his MPs expressed concerns about the protests and behaviour of the Greens, the Prime Minister declared “actions to intimidate have no place in a democracy”.

The Opposition Leader backed the Prime Minister’s concerns and told The Australian: “A violent protester who breaks the law by attacking a person of Jewish faith on a university campus or seeks to intimidate an MP should be dealt with by the police.

“The fact no one has been arrested for the hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to electorate offices just encourages the next criminal protester to trash another office. We celebrate peaceful protest but criminal behaviour by these anti-Semitic hate protesters should result in arrests and strong penalties.”

Mr Albanese noted it had been a difficult period for a number of Labor MPs and their staff whose electorate offices were targeted.

Referencing his own office in Marrickville, Sydney, Mr Albanese said the idea constituents would be blocked from getting help on social security or immigration matters was “appalling”.

But Greens leader Adam Bandt said Mr Albanese’s attack was a “shameful attempt” to distract from Labor’s “backing of the invasion of Gaza, their refusal to recognise Palestine and their refusal to take any meaningful action to prevent a genocide that has claimed over 34,000 lives”.

Greens sources said the protests mentioned by the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Penny Wong had not been organised by the minor party.

“The Greens support peaceful protest, we will continue to do so, and we support the protest organisers’ calls for no property damage or breakage,” Mr Bandt said.

“Instead of admitting that his own electorate is disappointed and angry at Labor’s refusal to take action on a genocide, the Prime Minister is attacking people in the community who are calling for peace.

“People are opposing Labor’s support for Benjamin Netanyahu’s invasion because every day they see the impact of the attacks – children killed by bombs and gunfire, and civilians on the cusp of starvation.”

One Labor MP said in caucus on Tuesday that electorate staff had been assaulted, while another congratulated Senator Wong for calling out the behaviour of the Greens and said the Muslim leadership had been keen to distance itself from the “violent” protests.

Pro-Palestine protesters vandalised signage outside the electoral office of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese located in Marrickville, in March, 2024. Picture: X

A third Labor MP told colleagues they previously had to close their office over a Greens protest on a different issue, with extreme misinformation fuelling the anger.

The vandalism began in Parliament House last year with threats and slogans being written on lavatory walls in the public part of the building calling for MPs “to end the killing”.

Pro-Palestinian vandals have defaced the electorate offices of Mr Albanese, Richard Marles, Bill Shorten, Chris Bowen and Mark Dreyfus as well as backbenchers Ged Kearney and Peter Khalil, with most being in Melbourne.

Vandals also attacked the US Consulate General in St Kilda Road, where red paint was splashed on the front and the slogan “Free Gaza” was tagged on the front of the office.

Red paint was splashed across the front of the suburban offices of Mr Dreyfus and Mr Shorten by vandals who also wrote slogans accusing the government of being complicit in genocide in Gaza.

“Vandalism or acts of violence which aim to call out violence is counter-productive,” Mr Shorten said on Friday.

Senator Wong has urged Mr Bandt, who she said had been part of the protests, to condemn the ­violence seen at electorate offices, including smashed windows.

“If you speak to many workers who are being confronted with what they have seen over a long period of time, including the ­occupation of offices and the ­destruction of property, I think people have felt unsafe,” Senator Wong said.