Former Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella had to be escorted by police out of a lecture at Melbourne University after it was disrupted by protesters.

Mrs Mirabella had to suspend the first-year Australian politics lecture after students started chanting about racism.

Video footage shows Mrs Mirabella being jostled by the protesters as she was led away by officers.

Two students with megaphones led protesters in chanting: "Say it loud, say it clear, racists are not welcome here".

One student was roughly pushed aside as police left the theatre.

The protesters chanted "We'll be back", and were booed by some students.

Mrs Mirabella was appointed as a public policy fellow by the university after losing her northern Victoria seat of Indi at last year's federal election.

Journalism student Mikaela Davis filmed the incident and said the protesters interrupted Mrs Mirabella's lecture before she had even been introduced to the class.

"I think at the start we were a bit excited it was happening, and then it got frustrating that we weren't hearing from her," she said.

In a statement, Melbourne University said one protester was removed and the lecture resumed a short time later.

"The university is committed to academic freedom of expression and believes all staff have the right to perform their duties without intimidation or harassment," the statement said.

Ms Davis said Mrs Mirabella was given a round of applause when she returned and did not appear shaken.

"When she was taking questions she made an off-hand joke that she had been yelled at enough for one day," she said.

The incident follows a similar protest involving Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at Sydney University on Friday.

She was mobbed by students angry about planned changes to higher education announced in the 2014 federal budget.