Four women charged after Vic protests

Four women have been charged with wilful trespass in Melbourne after refusing to move from the Department of Homes Affairs office during a protest against the detention of people on Manus, Nauru and Christmas islands.

While 40-odd protesters left the lobby of Customs House on La Trobe Street after calling for Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to be sacked, the remaining protesters continued their vigil before police intervened on Wednesday.

The arrested group included two Melbourne women aged 47 and 57, a 23-year-old NSW woman and a 20-year-old from the ACT.

The group were released on summons, while other protesters were spoken to about graffiti which has since been removed.

The protest was one of three staged across the city, with Melbourne University students using barrel pipe locks to block doors to the administration building, while others protested at BHP headquarters over the company's mining in Ecuador.