SYDNEY -- Hundreds of protesters tried to ruin anniversary celebrations Monday marking 30 years in parliament for Australia's hardline immigration minister Philip Ruddock.

The demonstrators marched through the streets of Sydney to the convention center where the cream of Australia's conservative establishment feted Ruddock's political milestone.

Chanting "Shame Ruddock Shame" and "Free the Refugees", the marchers protested Ruddock's role as architect of the government's tough policy of jailing unwanted asylum seekers in remote detention centers in the Australian outback and on distant Pacific islands. "He is absolutely shameless to be celebrating when he has done more than anybody in the federal government to destroy the civil life of this country and to destroy our soul," said protester Gay McAuley, 63. "Locking up children with no proper education, no proper health care -- I can't believe that this is Australia doing it."

Prime Minister John Howard was among the crowd of politicians and business luminaries attending the Ruddock function.

"It is great to live in a democracy where people have the right to protest like this," one guest at the party told the Australian Associated Press when asked about the protest outside, AFP reported. "But how would they like to have refugees in their backyards, taking their jobs?"

Ruddock and Howard defend their tough stance on illegal immigration as necessary to discourage people from attempting dangerous boat voyages to Australia from Southeast Asia.

Since the policy was adopted in late 2001, a flood of boat people seeking asylum in Australia has dried up to a trickle of mostly failed attempts to reach the country.

But human rights groups, the United Nations and Australian courts have all condemned as inhumane the policy of indefinite mandatory detention for asylum seekers of all ages while their cases are considered.