A woman has been arrested for allegedly trespassing at Anthony Albanese’s office as it remains blocked by protesters.
Sarah Shaweesh recorded the arrest on Instagram while posing as a local elector living in Marrickville in Sydney’s inner west, where Albanese has his electorate office.
But she claims in a video clip that “the police and AFP are threatening to arrest me because I went to the office today to ask about the rejected visa application for my family to come here from Gaza.”
In the footage, posted on social media platform X, a police officer is seen approaching her.
“You are currently under arrest. I’m going to have to take your phone away,” the officer said.
“But why are you arresting me?” he asked, and they replied, “for trespassing.”
“But that is a constituent’s office and I should be able to go there,” Ms Shaweesh replied.
“I have the right to be heard. We paid a government service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to apply for a visa, but they refused to give us one.
Sarah Shaweesh has been arrested for trespassing at the office of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
‘If your application has been rejected, then you should contact your local member and they will be able to help you.’
“I understand,” the officer said.
“He doesn’t want to help me… for no reason,” Ms Shaweesh added.
However, the officer was not intimidated.
“So Anthony Albanese’s office is arresting me because I came here for help,” Shaweesh said.
“Anthony Albanese’s office is not arresting you,” the officer responded.
‘I’m arresting you.’
A NSW Police spokesman said they were called to Mr Albanese’s office at 11.50am “following reports of a number of people refusing to leave the office”.
“Two people were ordered to move,” the spokesman said.
‘A 33-year-old woman was arrested after she allegedly failed to leave the office after being asked to do so by an employee inside the building.
‘The woman was taken to Newtown Police Station where she was charged with trespassing on prohibited Commonwealth land.’
In a GoFundMe Ms Shaweesh wrote that she was trying to help 11 members of her family, including children, “flee the escalating violence in Gaza” but each needed at least $5,000 to do so.
“With their homes destroyed, infrastructure crumbling and the threat of airstrikes looming, their safety is at risk at every turn,” she wrote in the fundraiser.
“Every week, their situation becomes more desperate. The family faced the winter without windows, food or clean water. They depend on aid, which is scarce.”
Despite Ms Shaweesh’s pleas that she was behaving legally, an officer placed her under arrest.
He said the money raised “will be sent to our relatives who are already on the ground in Egypt, who will organize everything necessary to evacuate my two cousins, their wives and children.”
Ms Shaweesh wrote an update in April to thank her supporters when the page reached almost half of its $70,000 goal.
Earlier this month, Daily Mail Australia political editor Peter Van Onselen criticised the prime minister for “handing over his office in Sydney’s inner-west to a pro-Palestinian protest camp”.
“Mr Albanese has been locked out of the home he has occupied in Marrickville for years by a handful of peaceful protesters,” Van Onselen wrote.
“This has left the office that serves its constituents largely inoperative.”
Van Onselen noted that “there are extensive laws designed and frequently used to disperse protesters.”
“However, for some reason, the prime minister does not want to rock the boat and forcibly evict the pro-Palestine camp,” he wrote.
‘Perhaps he is worried that the scenes will provoke a backlash on Labour’s left-wing political flank.
The outside of the Prime Minister’s office in Marrickville, in Sydney’s inner west, has been occupied by a pro-Palestine camp, preventing constituents from accessing the office.
‘So since January, the country’s leader has been deprived of power and has not been able to visit the site. Fences have even been put up to protect parts of the office space.
‘Staff have been told the office cannot operate as it should for security reasons, despite the entirely innocuous nature of the demonstration.
‘Bewildered constituents, accustomed to being able to access the resources of their local MP, arrive only to find they need to call a number to obtain any type of service they could previously receive at the office.’