Residents of Newtown took to the streets on Saturday to express their anger over controversial lockout laws and the Westconnex by holding a "moving music festival". The march saw hundreds making their way down King Street to the music of more than 30 local bands and DJs after meeting at Camperdown Memorial Rest Park around 2pm.

A member of the protest's organising collective, Chris Lego, said they were trying to "make the day as enjoyable as possible" for everyone involved. While he hoped the protest would remain "peaceful", he wanted to make sure that the festival's message was clear.

The Reclaim the Streets protest on Saturday. Credit:Natalie Sekulovska

"If the government shuts down our dance floors, we'll dance on the streets," he said. "We don't believe we should be collectively punished for the brutal stupidity of one or two people. There's been an over-policing of fun, spontaneity and creativity in Sydney. It's not good enough."

Gig promoter Nick Parker believes the lockout laws have been "excruciatingly hard" on musicians, DJs and producers who are trying to share their music in the bars and clubs that have been affected.