The Federal member for Griffith in Brisbane has closed her electoral office today after claiming “aggressive” protesters had harassed her staff.
Renee Coffey, who was elected at this year’s Federal Election, said she had taken to protect her staff after protesters had camped outside her electoral office in Greenslopes, just south of Brisbane’s CBD yesterday.
In a video posted to her Instagram, Coffey said she supported the right for people to protest, but claimed some of the actions of the protesters against her staff stepped over the line.
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“I will always stand up for your right to protest peacefully on the issues that matter to you,” she said.
“What I will not tolerate is the treatment of my team that I have seen today.
“My team members have been harassed, they have been followed, and they have been aggressively confronted by protesters.”
Coffey claimed she was following advice given to her in order to protect her staff, and insisted it was a difficult decision to make.
“I’m really sad to do this and I am really conflicted about it, but what I can’t allow is the harassment of my team that has happened today.”
It comes just days after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese closed his electoral office in Grayndler in Sydney’s Inner West due to the continued presence of pro-Palestine protesters.
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The climate protest group Move Beyond Coal posted on their social media pages about a “snap protest” that occurred outside the Griffith electoral office.
The protest centred around last week’s approval of a controversial Woodside gas project in Western Australia.
“Community members in Brisbane/Magandjin have rallied outside Renee Coffey – Labor Member for Griffith’s office in response to Friday’s approval of Woodside’s massive north west shelf gas project in WA,” the post read.
“Instead of standing with Murujuga Traditional Owners and the community demanding climate action, the Australian Labor Party have betrayed us and given the green light to the largest fossil fuel project in the southern hemisphere.”
Move Beyond Coal has been contacted for comment.
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