Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hits back after constituent charged with trespass at his office

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hit back at suggestions his staff refused to help a Palestinian-Australian constituent who was arrested at his electorate office.

Sara Shaweesh, 33, was charged with trespass after she allegedly refused to leave Mr Albanese’s Marickville office around lunchtime on Thursday.

According to her social media activity, she has been involved in the months-long pro-Palestine protests staged outside his office that Mr Albanese has routinely been critical of.

The woman shared a video on her social media of her conversation before the arrest, explaining she was attempting to get assistance for her family in Gaza who had their visa applications to come to Australia denied.

On Friday, Mr Albanese said what had occurred was not about someone being prevented from help.

“There has been issues at my office all year,” he said.

“There has been issues at my office of disruption, issues not aimed at getting assistance, issues aimed at securing - I’m not quite sure what the aims are.

“(Israeli) Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu is not looking at what is happening on Marrickville Road before decisions are made.

“We are not participants in the conflict that is occurring in the Middle East, and the idea that we are and that people should be subject to the sort of abuse that has occurred... is just inappropriate and unproductive.”

He said his office staff assisted people “without fear or favour”, but that the protest activity had hindered the ability to do so, and repeated his calls for people to “show respect” to elected representatives and their staff.

“They are not the political front line,” he said.

In a later video, Ms Shaweesh claimed she had gone to the office on Thursday in an attempt to help some of her 11 family members out of Gaza after the initial visa application for five of them was declined.

“I should be able to go to my local member, which unfortunately is Anthony Albanese,” she said.

“I was there for one reason. And that reason is I have family, and I’m worried for them, and I’m concerned about them like anyone else would be.”

She continued in her video to accuse the Australian government of being an “active participant in genocide”, and equating the Labor Party to the Nazis.

“For as long as you are manufacturing weapons and allowing it to be shipped to Israel, that is you participating in genocide,” she said, despite the government’s repeated insistence it is not exporting weapons or parts to Israel.

Mr Albanese, who has strengthened his calls for a more measured political debate, on Friday reiterated his government’s position on the conflict in Gaza.

“My government is very clear, we continue to call for a cease-fire. We continue to want peace and security,” he said.

“We continue to express our concern at what has happened and is ongoing in Gaza. We have consistently voted that way.”