Major security fears as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his staff are confronted in hotel lobby

By CAITLIN POWELL FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 16:23 BST, 15 April 2025 | Updated: 16:23 BST, 15 April 2025

The safety of senior politicians has again been brought into question after the Prime Minister became the latest figure to be verbally bombarded during the election campaign.

Alt-right groups Melbourne Freedom Rally and Tactical Force Combatives have taken credit for videos showing Anthony Albanese being ambushed in a Melbourne hotel lobby on Tuesday.

Mr Albanese was speaking to his staffer Fiona Sugden at the Grand Hyatt Hotel when he was approached by a man filming on his phone.

‘There are hundreds of thousands of Australians around the country, who are unable to afford housing … when are you going to put Australians first?’ the man asked.

A stunned Mr Albanese didn’t reply.

Ms Sugden can be heard asking for the man’s name as a member from the prime minister’s security entourage steps in to end the exchange. 

‘Okay mate, that’s enough, thank you,’ he tells the man.

A second video shared showed Mr Albanese being confronted by another man.  

Anthony Albanese looked stunned as he was confronted in a hotel lobby on Tuesday

The PM’s staffer Fiona Sugden quickly stepped in after he was bombarded with questions

‘Albo, how do you feel about the rise in immigration, mate? Do you think it’s fair?’ the man asked as security again stepped in. 

‘Unfortunately, you’re not staying here, so you can leave,’ Ms Sugden told him.

The man replied: ‘I’m not touching anyone. I’m not touching anyone.’

‘That’s right and you’re also not approaching the Prime Minister,’ a member of the security team told him as he was escorted from the hotel. 

It’s unclear how the pair were able to slipped past security or approach the prime minister in the hotel lobby.

Melbourne Freedom Rally, protesters who have previously held out-of-control anti-vaccination demonstrations, laid claim to the first video.

Meanwhile, Tactical Force Combatives – owned by Daniel Jones, who has worked as a bodyguard to far-right figure Avi Yemeni – has taken credit for the second.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Mr Albanese’s office and Australian Federal Police for comment on Tuesday night.

Both men were escorted from the hotel by the Prime Minister’s security entourage

A Labor source told The Age the incidents are a concern and highlighted the growing risk of extremism around politics. 

The ambush from the two men is the latest in a string of headlines about threats to politicians’ security as they travel across the country in lead up to the May 3 elections.

Dozens of activists dressed in black yelled racist slogans outside Coalition Senator James Paterson’s office in South Melbourne on Sunday.

Last week, it was also revealed Peter Dutton was the alleged target of a private school student’s terror plot which reportedly involved the use of a drone. 

Mr Albanese later revealed that authorities have launched legal proceedings to protect him after a ‘serious incident’.

The AFP had issued a sobering warning about concerns for politicians’ safety only a few weeks before.

‘The number of reports of threats to high office holders, federal parliamentarians, dignitaries and electorate offices continue to grow,’ Commissioner Reece Kershaw told the Senate on March 27.

Peter Dutton (pictured) was the alleged target of a terror plot which involved the use of a drone

Citing data from the last few years, he revealed reports of threats to politicians had doubled from 555 in 2021-22,to 1009 in 2023-24.

‘In Australia, we are recording an increase in issue-motivated extremism, and offenders who are quickly willing to use violence to further their cause.’

Commissioner Kershaw said AFP had developed election-specific protected security advice with this in mind.

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Major security fears as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his staff are confronted in hotel lobby

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