Police are on the scene at a Melbourne hotel used to detain refugees and asylum seekers after a protester chained himself inside a metal cage on the roof.
The protest action began at 7.30am at the Mantra Hotel complex in the Melbourne suburb of Preston, the site of several previous protests.
The hotel holds about 60 refugees and asylum seekers brought to Australia almost a year ago from Manus Island and Nauru for medical treatment under medevac legislation.
Spokesperson for the group of protesters, Sam Castro, said they planned further action and a 24/7 "occupation" at the Mantra Hotel.
“The Kangaroo Point occupation has shown that the Australian community from Brisbane to Melbourne are ready to activate to free the refugees being held prisoners in these hotels and detention centres," Mr Castro said.
"Minister Dutton and the Department of Home Affairs, along with the Mantra hotel chain, should be aware that the pressure to end mandatory detention is only going to increase."
The Kangaroo Point Central Hotel in Brisbane, which also houses medevac asylum seekers, has been the site of multiple ongoing demonstrations by refugee activists.
Hundreds gathered outside the hotel last weekend to demand the release of those detained inside. The blockade was sparked by the attempted relocation of a refugee.
In a statement, Ismail, one of the detainees inside the Mantra hotel in Melbourne, said they were "sick" and that the "sickness was caused by mandatory detention".
"We were put where we experienced horrors, torture, abuse, humiliation, discrimination and negligence, since we are brought we didn't get any proper treatment and clearly the government didn't bring us here to get treatment, but to punish and torture us more till we become insane or commit suicide,” he said.
