At 11.30am this morning, an air raid siren rang out warning Maroubra beachgoers to leave. Surfers were forcibly removed from the surf by lifesavers on jet skis and a surf club member told the public over a loudspeaker that the beach was closed on police orders.

“It’s police state,” one angry driver yelled at the police. “You can shop at Eastgardens but you can’t go to the beach?”

Photos by Louise Kennerley