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Hundreds of animal rights activists have caused traffic chaos in Melbourne as part of a large and co-ordinated mass protest.

Vigilantes brought parts of the city to a standstill on Monday morning after gathering at Flinders Street and blocking lanes of traffic with vans marked with banners condemning the slaughter of animals.

Protesters have even gone to the length of chaining themselves to cars while their counterparts wave placards that read, 'vegan rising' or 'this is a peaceful protest'. 

Some trams have stopped running while others are being diverted. Commuters are being told to consider the city loop train as an alternative.

Victoria Police said it's monitoring the protest to ensure it is peaceful.

'It's causing quite the headache for people,' Public Transport Victoria's Georgia Main told 3AW. 

The protest is one of many that will be held by thousands of animal activists across the country on Monday.

Vigilantes have already brought parts of Melbourne to a standstill with 'the largest protest the world has ever seen' planned for other cities like Brisbane

Hundreds have gathered at Flinders Street in the Victorian capital, with vans parked on the road and blocking lanes of traffic

Police are on site and motorists are being urged to allow extra time for travel

On a smaller scale, protesters marched through the Sydney CBD after meeting at Hyde Park.

Protest spokesperson Isy Veira said they are calling on state and federal agriculture ministers to listen to several demands, including adding an animal cruelty documentary to the school curriculum for kids over 15.

Despite the small numbers at the protest, Ms Veira was happy with the turnout.

'We've got riot police following us around so we're obviously shaking things up a bit,' she said.

'I think that protest and direct action and animal rights activism will continue until the demands in the statement are met.

'They aren't unreasonable demands, we're just asking for transparency and compassion.' 

The mass rallies, which has been described as 'the largest protest the world has ever seen', will also be held at slaughterhouses and businesses in Brisbane and Hobart. 

Around 5am, dozens of activists chained themselves to machinery at Carey Bros Abattoir at Yangan, 100km south-west of Brisbane, and demanded the release of three lambs.

After a lengthy two hours and negotiations, the vigilantes were escorted off the property.

'It was pretty much what was expected,' one of the protesters told 7News.

'The workers came in, they called the police, they called the manager and we negotiated this end result.'

Many more protests have been planned across Queensland farms and an undisclosed location in Brisbane.

The animal rights vigilantes have been tight-lipped about their targets across the country in a bid to reduce the chances of intervention. 

A Facebook event titled Dominion Anniversary Action has 224 people going and 652 interested in the Brisbane protest.

'Make sure your fuel tanks are full. We hope that you can join us to make this the biggest animal rights direct action the world has ever seen,' the post read.

Listeners have already called into 3AW and reported similar scenes of chaos at Laverton - at the Australian Food Group abattoir - M.C Herd in Geelong, Toowoomba, and Pakenham South abattoirs.

Goulburn police have already arrested nine protesters after they stormed an abattoir on Mazamat Road and chained themselves to a conveyor at 4am this morning.

'Activists are currently inside Goulburn slaughterhouse preventing the brutal slaughter of animals, as part of co-ordinated actions across the country to draw attention to the inherent cruelty of animal agriculture and to call for industry transparency,' Lost Earthlings said at the time of the sit-in. 

Protesters have also marched through the Sydney CBD, waving placards and condemning the animal brutality

Protestors wave placards as they march through the Sydney CBD

A protester waves a lollipop sign to lead a small group of protesters through the Sydney CBD

Protesters march through the Sydney CBD as mass rallies are held across the country in a bid to end brutality against animals

Police cut the protesters free and are expected to bring charges against the three men - one aged 46 and two aged 22 - and six women - aged between 21 and 61 - later today. 

At Warwick, 130km south-west of Brisbane, about 20 animal rights vigilantes have chained themselves to an abattoir with up to 200 standing outside.

The large group has called for an end to the 'barbaric slaughter' of the sheep and pigs. 

Brad King, from the activist group Farm Animal Rescue, was among those at the protest and said animals slaughtered at the site had endured terrifying deaths. 

The National Farmers Federation and the Australian Livestock Exporters Council have also tried to warn farmers after an interactive map highlighting their locations was shared among the activists. 

Wingham farmer Greg Newell - whose property was listed on the map - believes protesters had probably never been on a farm. 

'If they want to protest and sit outside a farm gate, that’s one thing but if they want to trespass on a farmer’s property, that’s another thing,' Mr Newell told Daily Telegraph.

'I doubt few of them have been on a farm and spoken to a farmer.' 

Goulburn police have already arrested nine protesters after they stormed an abattoir on Mazamat Road and chained themselves to a conveyor

Police cut the protesters free and are expected to bring charges against the three men - one aged 46 and two aged 22 - and six women - aged between 21 and 61 - later today

The timing of the protests coincides with the one-year anniversary release of Dominion, an anti-farming documentary loved by vegans.

'The film shows the truth about what is happening to animals in this country and around the world, but it was all Australian footage,' Melbourne protest organiser Christine Lee told Today.

'We want to show we're regular people who have had enough, we are killing the planet and killing animals at rates that are just unacceptable.

'And drastic times call for drastic measures so that is why we're here today. We have nine teams around Australia that are going to places of violence to draw attention to them directly.' 

Scott Morrison has scolded the 'shameful' actions of vegan protesters who have invaded farms and abattoirs.

Around 5am, dozens of activists chained themselves to machinery at Carey Bros Abattoir at Yangan in remote Queensland and demanded the release of three lambs

After a lengthy two hours and negotiations, the vigilantes were escorted off the property

'It is shameful, it is un-Australian, Mr Morrison told 2GB radio on Monday.

'This is just another form of activism that I think runs against the national ins terest, and the national interest is being able to farm their own land.'

On Sunday, Queensland Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said he'd had a gutful of activists putting farms at risk.

He is drafting regulations that would allow police and agriculture ministers to slap protesters with on-the-spot fines.

A family-owned cafe in Victoria has already been forced to close its doors as a result of the ongoing and relentless protests. 

The Gippy Goat Café in the small Victorian town of Yarragon, about 110km south-east of Melbourne, closed its doors for the final time on Sunday, claiming they could no longer stand the abuse.

Owners John and Penny Gommans said they have been targeted for months. 

They claim tensions have only gotten worse since activists broke into their farm and stole three goats last December.

'For the sake of our health and safety and that of our families and staff we feel that [closing] is regrettably the best option,' they said in a statement on Sunday.

Scott Morrison has admonished as 'un-Australian' the animal activists behind a controversial map of farmers' addresses and contact details

'It is understood protesters have blocked the intersection of Flinders and Swanston streets using vehicles, which a small number have chained themselves to,' they said in a statement

'Our staff and customers have been subjected to nearly 4 months of constant harassment, vile statements and threats from the abusive vegan activists.

'We have personally been subjected to an appalling stream of threats of extreme violence against ourselves, our family, our staff and even their families.

'Our staff have been subjected to daily threats and harassment by phone, and we cannot in good conscience ask them to continue working under such a condition.'

Militant vegans who illegally invade farms can now face huge on-the-spot fines of hundreds of dollars.

Queensland state politicians have vowed to 'get tough' on farm invaders to tackle a 'completely inappropriate era of activism.'

New regulations are being drafted to allow police to fine activists caught trespassing. 

'These activities create a serious biosecurity issue as well as putting the lives of farmers, workers and indeed animals at risk,' Queensland Agricultural Minister Mark Furner, Furner told The Courier Mail.

'We are getting tough on farm invaders because their actions are dangerous.'           

'I'm expecting state governments - as I'm sure they will - to do their jobs,' he said

Up to 200 others remained outside the Warwick facility, protesting against what they said was the barbaric slaughter of sheep and pigs

He is drafting regulations that would allow police and agriculture ministers to slap protesters with on-the-spot fines