About 10,000 university students, student unionists and academics descended on Sydney’s Town Hall to protest against the federal Budget cuts this afternoon.
Before arriving, the marchers, staged a sit-in near the corner of Hay and George Stchanting “this is what democracy looks like”.
The protesters remained there for about 10 minutes with a group in the centre chanting “burn budget burn” as they burnt a copy of the budget.
One protester set off a smoke bomb but police say no arrests have been made.
The march has led to traffic delays in the CBD area.
Meanwhile in Melbourne, police dragged protesters from a sit-in outside State Parliament, according to The Herald Sun.
Up to 2000 protesters rallied on the steps of the State Library before walking through the CBD to Parliament House.
Thousands of student protesters were faced with a heavy police contingent at Parliament as they vow to fight until cuts in the Budget are “dead and buried”.
The protesters reached Spring St at about 3.15pm after gathering at the State Library.
Later a smaller group, including a 15-year-old schoolgirl, began the sit-in on tram tracks outside Parliament and were ordered by police to leave.
When they refused, officers forcibly removed them.
It comes after Prime Minister Tony Abbott cancelled a visit to Deakin University as protests ramped up.