Homeless advocates have camped at Victoria's State Library to protest a proposed rough sleeping ban in front of crowds pouring into Melbourne for the annual White Night event.
With signs reading "No homless ban", "Public housing for the homeless" and "People are not rubbish you can't sweep them off the streets" the group planned to spend the whole night at the landmark.
The City of Melbourne's proposed by-law amendments include banning any form of public camping and making it easier for the confiscation of unattended property.
The council will also run a public relations campaign to discourage people giving money to the homeless.
But homeless advocates fear if the ban goes through, other councils could follow suit.
"What are they trying to do? Run people that are experiencing homelessness through no fault of their own right out to the edge of Melbourne? It's absolutely outrageous," Kelly Whitworth from the Homeless Persons Union told AAP on Saturday night.
There is currently a 28-day public consultation period on the by-laws and if they go through, it is not expected to come into force until at least April.
The annual White Night event attracts about 500,000 people to the CBD for exhibitions, street performances and lighting displays from 7pm Saturday to 7am Sunday.
