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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Australian PM blames ‘aggressive protesters’ for closure of local electorate office | Australian PM blames ‘aggressive protesters’ for closure of local electorate office |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Anthony Albanese says site next to church ‘became untenable’ after repeated protests against Gaza war in inner Sydney suburb | Anthony Albanese says site next to church ‘became untenable’ after repeated protests against Gaza war in inner Sydney suburb |
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| The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has closed his inner-Sydney electorate office after almost 30 years, saying his hand had been forced by repeated protests outside the office. | The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has closed his inner-Sydney electorate office after almost 30 years, saying his hand had been forced by repeated protests outside the office. |
| Albanese’s office in Marrickville, in his electorate of Grayndler, has long been a target of demonstrations, particularly over the war in Gaza, including a months-long sit-in outside the office in 2024. | Albanese’s office in Marrickville, in his electorate of Grayndler, has long been a target of demonstrations, particularly over the war in Gaza, including a months-long sit-in outside the office in 2024. |
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| “Sadly, over the past two years, aggressive protesters have repeatedly blocked access to the electorate office for people seeking assistance,” Albanese said in a statement announcing the decision on Sunday. | “Sadly, over the past two years, aggressive protesters have repeatedly blocked access to the electorate office for people seeking assistance,” Albanese said in a statement announcing the decision on Sunday. |
| “This has also significantly affected churchgoers attending the neighbouring St Clements Church, including disruption to funerals and other church services.” | “This has also significantly affected churchgoers attending the neighbouring St Clements Church, including disruption to funerals and other church services.” |
| The site, which closed on Friday, was owned by a neighbouring Anglican church, which Albanese claimed ended the lease because of the ongoing protests. | The site, which closed on Friday, was owned by a neighbouring Anglican church, which Albanese claimed ended the lease because of the ongoing protests. |
| “There were people being abused going to funerals,” he told ABC Radio on Monday. | “There were people being abused going to funerals,” he told ABC Radio on Monday. |
| “It basically became untenable for people … it just does my head in that people think that a cause is advanced by that sort of behaviour.” | |
| Ross Ciano, the senior minister at the neighbouring church, said the decision to discontinue the lease was made by the Sydney diocese, which owns the property. | |
| He told Guardian Australia the lease was up and there were multiple reasons why it was not renewed. But Ciano confirmed the major reason was the protests. | |
| Ciano said the church was also growing and was considering how to use the space to provide services to the community. | |
| Regarding Albanese’s comment about protesters abusing churchgoers, Ciano told the ABC “the majority [of protests] have been fine but there’s been times it got a little bit intense”. | |
| “We’ve had phone calls, at times, where people haven’t felt safe walking down this part of Marrickville Road.” | “We’ve had phone calls, at times, where people haven’t felt safe walking down this part of Marrickville Road.” |
| Ciano said only one funeral service had been affected “but it’s just been noise”. | |
| “We also got people in our church who support the message [of the protesters],” he said. “We are a multicultural congregation who have different views and that’s what we think is a healthy congregation.” | |
| ‘Where he goes, we follow’ | ‘Where he goes, we follow’ |
| Families for Palestine, a New South Wales advocacy group, denied protesters had blocked locals from accessing the office and said in a statement it was aware of only one funeral during its months-long picket of the office. | Families for Palestine, a New South Wales advocacy group, denied protesters had blocked locals from accessing the office and said in a statement it was aware of only one funeral during its months-long picket of the office. |
| “On that day, only a small handful of people remained at the picket [and] out of respect for the grieving family and community we sat in silence,” the group wrote on Instagram. | |
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| “We were a group of mothers, many with newborns and young children. Our actions were always safe, yet our demands were clear: that ‘Australia’ end its complicity in genocide.” | “We were a group of mothers, many with newborns and young children. Our actions were always safe, yet our demands were clear: that ‘Australia’ end its complicity in genocide.” |
| The group added: “Just so Albo is clear, where he goes, we follow!” | The group added: “Just so Albo is clear, where he goes, we follow!” |
| A new site will be chosen for the office, which allows constituents to seek help from his staff on a range of matters. | A new site will be chosen for the office, which allows constituents to seek help from his staff on a range of matters. |
| The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, described the protests as “political intimidation”, issuing a statement accusing demonstrators of stopping the public from accessing their elected representative. | The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, described the protests as “political intimidation”, issuing a statement accusing demonstrators of stopping the public from accessing their elected representative. |
| The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, said the closure was “very sad”. | The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, said the closure was “very sad”. |
| “I think the kind of protests we’ve seen outside the prime minister’s electoral office over the last couple of years have been a complete disgrace,” he told ABC Radio. | “I think the kind of protests we’ve seen outside the prime minister’s electoral office over the last couple of years have been a complete disgrace,” he told ABC Radio. |
| Marles accused the Greens of stoking the pro-Palestinian protests, saying the minor party “has a lot to answer for”. | Marles accused the Greens of stoking the pro-Palestinian protests, saying the minor party “has a lot to answer for”. |
| But the Greens leader, Larissa Waters, defended her party’s actions. | But the Greens leader, Larissa Waters, defended her party’s actions. |
| She said she was proud that Australians had taken to the streets, including those outside the prime minister’s office, to protest against the war in Gaza. | She said she was proud that Australians had taken to the streets, including those outside the prime minister’s office, to protest against the war in Gaza. |
| “It’s a bit rich of the prime minister to reduce that chorus of sentiment down to what it means for him in his own electorate office,” she told reporters in Canberra. | “It’s a bit rich of the prime minister to reduce that chorus of sentiment down to what it means for him in his own electorate office,” she told reporters in Canberra. |