Canberrans are expressing growing frustration at disruptions caused by protests, which are expected to increase this week.

Thousands of demonstrators began gathering in Canberra last week to protest against COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions.

Police forced them to move on from an unlawful campsite near the National Library of Australia, but more protesters have arrived ahead of the beginning of parliamentary sittings.

Over the weekend, a convoy of demonstrators hampered traffic at Canberra Airport in an attempt to delay travellers.

Bus services were also diverted this afternoon as protests disrupted traffic near the Australian War Memorial.

On social media, ACT businesses and residents said that groups of protesters harassed locals who were following health orders, such as wearing masks and checking in to venues.

ACT Policing also confirmed that officers were called to a city pub, King O'Malley's, on Saturday afternoon to help staff deal with patrons "refusing to comply with mask-wearing requirements".

Officers were called again that evening, when the pub closed its doors early to get rid of the patrons after they refused to leave.

'Making more enemies than friends'

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said Canberrans were hospitable and he respected everyone's right to protest.

However, Mr Barr said the demonstrators were "making more enemies than friends".

"If the objective of these protesters is to win over hearts and minds, they're certainly not doing that," Mr Barr said.

"Canberra is one of the most vaccinated cities on Earth, so the message from these protesters is really not gelling with Canberrans, who are educated [and] who understand the value of vaccinations as a way of protecting themselves, their families, friends and indeed their fellow citizens."

Mr Barr also warned the groups that police would step in again if they acted unlawfully, and asked the protesters to respect Canberrans.

"What I'd say to those people is that the lives that they are disrupting and the businesses that they have been targeting here in Canberra don't deserve these sorts of attacks."

Avoid parliamentary area: police

ACT Policing Commander of Operations Linda Champion said Canberrans should brace for further protests but police were deployed to minimise disruptions.

"We are expecting more protest activity today in and around the parliamentary triangle and potentially the airport," she said.

Traffic diversions had been put in place but she warned travellers to leave early to reach destinations on time, and expect delays of about 20 minutes.

She said, while protests had remained mostly peaceful, police were monitoring the demonstrators' movements and their camping areas.

Disparate and 'incoherent' beliefs

The protests mimic similar demonstrations overseas, including a larger-scale truck blockade in the Canadian capital Ottawa.

But the aims of protesters are disparate: some want COVID-19 vaccine mandates removed; some believe vaccines are harmful; some dispute the legality of the Australian government; and others believe in QAnon-style conspiracies.

Mark Parton, a Liberal member of the ACT Legislative Assembly, said he spent more than an hour talking with demonstrators at their campsite last week.

"I found it very difficult to have a coherent discussion with any of them because they genuinely believe that all elected members of any parliament will be arrested for treason," he told the ABC.

"When you're faced with that sort of narrative, it's very, very difficult to have a sensible argument."

Mr Parton said everyone he spoke with believed that the official pandemic data was falsified "because every publicly elected official, every senior health official, is being bribed by 'big pharma' [pharmaceutical companies]".