Rally-goers protest budget measures, including cuts to health, education and the ABC as well as changes to jobless benefits

Thousands turned out around the country on Sunday to register their outrage at the Abbott government’s budget.

The protest – billed as Bust the Budget – saw more than 6,000 people show up in Sydney's CBD and up to 30,000 people brave the cold weather in Melbourne.



In Sydney, crowds began forming shortly after midday at the Town Hall. Rally-goers, waving trade union flags and budget-protest placards converged on St Andrews square on George Street.

Greens leader Christine Milne told reporters on the scene the protest was borne out of frustration against planned federal cuts to health and welfare spending.

"[Tony Abbott] is making life harder for people," Milne said.

"He's making life a misery for people who are unemployed and searching for work.

The Greens leader said incoming senators need to listen to the community and block budget measures.

"You need to join with us in busting the budget," she said.

"Tony Abbott is a crash or crash through prime minister. We have to make sure that in response to this budget we make sure he crashes."

A young Melbournian joins the anti-budget rally. Photograph: Van Badham/Twitter

Several of the government's budget measures, including the $7 GP visit co-payment, changes to jobless benefits, a higher pension age and deregulation of university fees have been criticised as unfair.

Milne said the Greens will not support the GP co-payment scheme.

Treasurer Joe Hockey has said the criticism has "drifted to the 1970s class warfare lines" and his budget was about equal opportunity, not equality of outcome.

"Our duty is to help Australians to get to the starting line, while accepting that some will run faster than others," he said in June.

Unions NSW secretary said there had not been such continuous outrage against a budget in 30 years. He urged incoming senators to vote the budget down.

Similar rallies took place in cities across the country on Sunday.

Thousands braved a cold and dreary Melbourne afternoon to gather at the Queen Victoria Gardens and protest the federal government's budget.

Union members, lawyers, nurses, a smattering of families and an unusual number of dogs bolstered the marchers’ numbers, which the most optimistic organisers estimated at about 30,000.



Protesters were handed placards with space left deliberately blank so they could fill in their own grievances. “What example are we setting? Australia used to mean a fair go for all, now it’s just for the few”, read one. “Australia rejects fascism”, another.



What it lacked in a singular message the rally made up for in colour: the pink of Peppa Pig holding a sign that that read, “Save Me From Tony’s Abbottoir”, the white of two newlyweds who found themselves unexpectedly in the parade’s path, and a rainbow sea of flags representing the acronymical army of unions opposed to the federal government’s tough budget.



Among the demonstrators was Liana Buchanan, the executive officers of the Federation of Community Legal Centres. “In budget week we learnt that first of all about 60 community legal centres will have funding cuts from next year,” she said.



“Given what we know, that community legal centres are the last option to get legal help for [people] who have no other way of getting help for very serious legal issues, we’re very concerned”.



Buchanan said she was impressed by “the number of people, the vibrancy, the passion” of the march, which ended at the steps of parliament house in Spring Street. Protestors were met there by a line of navy-blue clad police, but no arrests or incidents were recorded.

A three-metre Tony Abbott puppet stood over protesters at an anti-budget rally in Canberra, with the prime minister the focus of anger at cuts to health, education and the ABC.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A Tony Abbott puppet appears on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra. Photograph: Adam Bennett/AAP Image

A few hundred people converged on the lawns in front of Parliament House.

The larger-than-life prime minister, with smoke emitting from his trousers, was greeted by protesters chanting "One term Tony" and "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire".

"We may have to call the fire brigade to put his arse out," one protester yelled.