Griffith mp renee coffey electoral office closed labor brisbane queensland move beyond coal north west gas shelf protest 20250916 p5zh06.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Advertisement
Advertisement
This was published 11 months ago

Labor MP forced to close office after "aggressive treatment" by climate protesters

Patrick Brischetto
Patrick Brischetto

Powered by

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.

Advertisement

READ MORE: Aussie staples under threat of being wiped out in just decades

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Labor's Building Australia's Future campaign rally at the State Library of Queensland, in Brisbane, Queensland, on Sunday 6 April 2025, during the 2025 federal election campaign. fedpol Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Renee Coffey was the target of protesters yesterday. Alex Ellinghausen

"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.

Advertisement

READ MORE: Father and son face fate over car chase murder

A Move Beyond Coal protest outside Renee Coffey's Griffith electoral office in Brisbane.

The group took aim at Labor's decision to back the North West Gas Shelf project. Facebook/Move Beyond Coal Brisbane

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.

Advertisement
Advertisement

"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.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

email icon

Contact us

Share a tip-off, video or photo with us

Most viewed in Australia

More to explore