Lord mayor Robert Doyle says loud and "threatening" protests outside his home in the middle of the night are unacceptable.
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A small group of protesters, who are campaigning against what they see as moves to criminalise homelessness by Melbourne City Council, held up banners, played instruments and chanted slogans outside Cr Doyle's private home late on Saturday night.
Activists purportedly also plan to "stalk" the lord mayor, raising concerns about his safety. Cr Doyle has spoken to the police about enhancing security arrangements.
"I've been in public life a long time, I know protest is a part of public life. I can handle that," Cr Doyle said at a media conference on Tuesday.
"I think, though, that someone's private home crosses a line that is unacceptable. I'm in the one in public life; my wife and my two-year-old are not.
"This was an atmosphere of threat and it was very deliberately so."
Cr Doyle stayed inside but several of his neighbours complained and were verbally abused by protesters, the lord mayor said.
Police eventually attended and the protesters dispersed, Cr Doyle said. He said the group were professional protesters, not "some spontaneous demonstration of homeless people themselves".
It is not clear who is behind the protests, nor a campaign strategy document that reportedly has been drawn up by activists.
The protesters hope to push the council to change its mind about new bylaws banning camping on city streets.
The strategy document – provided to Fairfax Media by the council after originally being obtained by News Corp – calls for Cr Doyle to be "stalked" in public by protesters.
Dumping litter on city streets has also been contemplated, along with newspaper adverts and surveys on trains and trams. Protesters should "avoid violent tactics", the document says.
The strategy document does not name an author. The Homeless Persons Union of Victoria and Socialist Alliance have both disavowed responsibility, 3AW has reported.
"Spike", a spokesman for the HPU, told 3AW his union had participated in the protest but not in drawing up the strategy document.
"As I understand it, no one knocked on Robert Doyle's home, no one passed over the boundary to his house.
"There was no threat on his wife and kids. It was a bit of noise to remind him: you cannot clock off when you're making decisions of this gravity."
Calls to the HPU and Socialist Alliance were not returned by deadline.
