A small group of university students protesting against the federal government's proposed higher education cuts has briefly blocked traffic outside Malcolm Turnbull's electoral office in Sydney.
About 20 students initially tried to occupy the prime minister's office in Edgecliff but were blocked by half-a-dozen NSW police officers.
One student was dragged off after drawing devil horns on a glass window in front of a poster of Mr Turnbull, but was released within minutes after receiving a police warning.
The students then moved to the intersection outside the office, blocking traffic and chanting: "When education is under attack what do we do? Stand up fight back!"
Officers then pushed the students onto the footpath as they tried to march down New South Head Road.
Mr Turnbull wasn't in Sydney on Thursday having flown to the United States for his first face-to-face with President Donald Trump.
About 15 students in Adelaide also staged a protest outside the electoral office of Education Minister Simon Birmingham.
Adelaide University education officer Daniel Neser said the rally wasn't about directly confronting the senator - who is in Canberra on Thursday - but about sending a message.
"It was about letting him know we are angry and we are going to protest wherever we can," he told AAP.
Mr Neser is worried the federal government isn't interested in having an open and honest dialogue with students about the planned changes.
Students are angry $2.8 billion is to be cut from universities in Tuesday's budget, while fees will also gradually be lifted by 7.5 per cent by 2021.
"It means we'll pay more for less," UNSW arts student Maddie Powell told AAP outside Mr Turnbull's office.
"The government is making it harder and harder for working class students like myself to go to university."
Organisers said they weren't disappointed by Thursday's small turnouts.
Bigger protests are planned for May 17 when rallies will be held in every capital city except Hobart and Darwin.
