· Protesters continue vigil

East West Link protesters will return to Melbourne drilling sites on Friday after further clashes with police on Thursday.

About 80 protesters met at a drill rig in Fitzroy at 5.30am on Thursday (AEDT) to picket the site.

Workers there had already started, so the group marched down Alexandra Parade to another drill site in Clifton Hill.

A scuffle broke out when police tried to direct the protesters back on to the footpath.

A heavy police presence of more than 100 officers guarded the drilling sites and surrounding areas.

#EWLink protesters cause havoc, taking on traffic on #AlexandraParade. @LauraTurner_9 with details NOW on #9NewsAt6 pic.twitter.com/t4whMNveFr

— Nine News Melbourne (@9newsmelb) January 9, 2014

Protesters and police also clashed at drilling sites on Wednesday.

Protester Mel Gregson, 29, said the police response was aggressive.

“We are going to keep disrupting the drilling because we don’t want the government to throw taxpayers’ money behind an environmentally devastating project that the majority of people don’t support,” Ms Gregson said.

Police and the state government have been contacted for comment.