An activist has been arrested for picking up a flare as thousands of angry federal budget protesters brought Sydney's CBD to a standstill.
The man, aged in his 20s, was forcefully bundled to the ground by police and put in handcuffs as thousands of protesters marched from inner city Ultimo to Town Hall on Wednesday afternoon.
The man picked up a lit orange flare off the ground and held it aloft before being swarmed by about six police officers, who pushed him against a wall and handcuffed him.
Hundreds of angry protesters surrounded the group and chanted "let him go, let him go" before mounted police moved in and dispersed the crowd.
The man was led away as protesters, mostly students from five different NSW universities, staged an impromptu sit-in at the junctions of George and Hay streets.
After about five minutes, they continued marching - surrounded by police - along George Street, bringing the CBD's main thoroughfare to a standstill.
They were protesting the federal government's budget cuts and fears that university prices will rocket under the Abbott government.
Students and their supporters had gathered earlier at the University of Technology Sydney in Ultimo, before marching through the city.
The group chanted "F*** you Tony Abbott, f*** you" and waved placards reading "Pyne you shameful grub" - a reference to Education Minister Christopher Pyne.
There was a person dressed as the Grim Reaper and wearing a Christopher Pyne mask, carrying a coffin with the words "our education" emblazoned on the side.
President of the National Union of Students Deanna Taylor said that the budget had been "cruel".
"It was a cruel, harsh, mean budget and it's going to absolutely savage higher education in Australia," she told the crowd.
"In one swoop on Tuesday, the federal government not only attacked the universal healthcare system as we know it, schools, pensioners, hospitals, they also attacked higher education and young people," Ms Taylor said.
NSW Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon has advocated, in some circumstances, for university campuses to be made no-go zones for conservative politicians.
It comes after Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Mr Pyne cancelled a visit to Victoria's Deakin University on Wednesday on the advice of police.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Mr Pyne and ex-Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella have all been targeted by protesting university students since the budget was handed down.
A 23-year-old man, who police claim used a flare, was charged with possessing a dangerous article in a public place.
Police arrested another man who allegedly assaulted an officer.
He was charged with resist and arrest, hinder police and assaulting a police officer.
Both men are due to appear before Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on June 3.
Police operation commander Simon Hardman said the majority of protesters abided by directions and made their way to Town Hall with little disruption to traffic.
"There will always be a handful of people who want to cause trouble but they were dealt with ensuring the impact on pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the CBD was minimised as much as possible," he said in a statement.
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