A pro-Hong Kong rally in Melbourne's CBD turned violent as hundreds of demonstrators clashed with more than 100 pro-China protesters.

Key points: Thousands of pro-Hong Kong protesters gathered for peaceful rallies in major cities

Thousands of pro-Hong Kong protesters gathered for peaceful rallies in major cities In Melbourne the protests turned violent when about 100 pro-China protesters arrived

In Melbourne the protests turned violent when about 100 pro-China protesters arrived Those at the Adelaide protest were advised to leave in groups to avoid being targeted

The protest began about 7:00pm on Friday outside the State Library Victoria, with only two police officers on the scene.

The crowd quickly swelled to an estimated 600 people before scuffles broke out and police formed a line separating the groups.

An ABC News crew became caught up in the scuffle when a speaker was pushed onto a cameraman by one of the protesters.

When the cameraman filmed the man who had kicked the speaker stand over, the protester lashed out and attempted to stop the cameraman from filming him.

Police officers were forced to separate the two groups in Melbourne. ( ABC News: Kristian Silva )

Clashes between protesters continued throughout the night and Victoria Police told the ABC that two men were interviewed in relation to unlawful assault, before being released pending summons.

There were no injuries reported during the event.

Meanwhile in Adelaide, up to 80 pro-Hong Kong protesters visited the city campus of the University of South Australia on Friday afternoon.

The protest became quite heated when more than 100 pro-Chinese demonstrators arrived, one of them claiming a pro-Hong Kong protester had put a hand on a female member of their group.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 22 seconds 1 m 22 s Pro-Hong Kong and pro-Beijing protesters clash in Adelaide

Many supporters of China yelled, booed and hurled derogatory and sexist insults at the leaders of the pro-democracy movement as they spoke against Hong Kong's controversial extradition treaty and police brutality.

A police line was formed between the two groups who organisers said remained at the scene for longer than anticipated.

In Adelaide, A pro-democracy supporter chants words of solidarity for his counterparts in Hong Kong. ( ABC News: Lincoln Rothall )

The pro-Hong Kong protesters made it clear to their group that they did not want anyone leaving alone, because of fears pro-Chinese protesters would follow them home and threaten violence.

In Sydney, nearly 500 people attended the rally held at Martin Place, over three times more than the organisers expected.

The rally was for the most part calm except for when about 20 pro-Beijing protesters arrived and started vocalising their opposition.

Organisers said the turnout in Martin Place exceeded their expectations. ( ABC News: Kevin Nguyen )

Police quickly moved them along and pushed them back to the other side of Martin Place.

The crowds were dispersed about 7:45pm and pro-Hong Kong organisers thanked NSW Police for overseeing the rally.

The pro-Hong Kong democracy and pro-China protesters were kept on separate sides in Melbourne. ( ABC: Kristian Silva )

Similar protests were held in major cities across the country including Brisbane.

There were no arrests.

The protests come after student demonstrations between the pro-Hong Kong and pro-Beijing camps have seen confrontations over the past fortnight, ranging from scuffles at the University of Queensland to peaceful hours-long debates on the footpaths outside Monash University's Clayton campus in Melbourne.