Bishop describes protest as 'confronting'

Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop says there's no place in Australia for the "confronting" actions of angry students who jostled and shoved her at a weekend protest.

A similar incident occurred on Monday when former Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella was forced to leave Melbourne University under police escort after being accosted by student protesters.

Ms Bishop said she would defend people's rights to express their views and she understood some budget measures weren't popular, but physical intimidation went beyond peaceful protest.

The minister had to be ushered by security from Sydney University on Saturday after being mobbed and heckled by around 20 students protesting proposed cuts to education in the federal budget.

"I have to tell you it was pretty confronting, having to be taken past a group of people who were really in my face and pushing and jostling and shoving," she told Sky News on Monday.

"There's no place for that in Australian public life."

Amateur footage taken at the scene showed Ms Bishop being ushered through the scrum of students in scenes later described by government frontbench MP Christopher Pyne as "assault".