Up to 250 people - most of whom were not wearing masks - took part in the protest which also included a massed walk along the bike path at North Wollongong.

It was part of a broader series of so-called "freedom rallies", with protests also taking place in Sydney and elsewhere from noon.

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NSW police spokeswoman said Wollongong Police District attended Endeavour Drive on Saturday in response to an unauthorised protest.

"The group walked along Cliff Road and returned to a grassed area nearby, before they were dispersed and moved on - to which most of the group complied," she said.

"Five $1000 penalty infringement notices were issued for breaches of the public health orders."

The posters and social media posts promoting the event include the phrases "say no to mandatory vaccinations, tyrannical lockdowns and vaccine passports".

The protest has angered Illawarra residents who have spent weeks at home after the Premier re-introduced the stay-at-home orders to give health authorities the best chance to contain a outbreak of the virulent Delta strain.

Greater Sydney including Wollongong and Shellhabour are in lockdown until at least July 30

Wollongong MP Paul Scully has appealed to protesters to "get tested" on Sunday.

"Your actions have created considerable community concern for no community benefit," he said on Twitter.

"The least you can do now is help calm local anxiety. So do everyone a favour and get tested today."

Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery was concerned the protest would undo all the work the city has done in containing the virus and labelled the actions of protesters as "totally irresponsible".

Keira MP and Labor's health spokesman Ryan Park said he was "appalled" at the "so called protest gathering" that took place in Wollongong.

"These individuals displayed appalling judgement to think in the middle of a health and economic crisis that it would be acceptable to gather in such large numbers," he said.

"Their decision to protest in this way was an act of complete and utter stupidity and I along with I'm sure many other local residents condemn this reckless behaviour."

Mr Park said he also backed local police in fining those individuals who "deliberately flouted" the current public health orders.

"Our community has been hit so hard by this virus. We have thousands of people out of work, we have locals who have lost businesses and we have families who have had to deal with the health impacts of this terrible virus," he said.

"I can only imagine how angry and upset locals who have had to shut their businesses doors and haven't worked for weeks would be feeling as they witnessed these scenes.

"These morons have no consideration for anyone else in our local community especially the police who had to attend the gathering and the health workers on the frontline fighting this deadly virus."

Meanwhile, two men will face court in the wake of an anti-lockdown protest in central Sydney, accused among other offences of striking a police horse.

Fifty-seven people have already been charged and 90 infringement notices issued over Saturday's protest, while a police strike force has been established to hunt down those who took part.

NSW Police on Sunday morning said officers were assaulted amid the unrest and police horses were struck and pushed.

A special strike force of detectives is analysing footage from social media, CCTV and police-worn body cameras to identify those who defied stay-at-home orders.

Police Minister David Elliott condemned the thousands of "very selfish boofheads" who marched.

"Police will be contacting people ... to have to answer for themselves and their behaviour, particularly the ringleaders," he said.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in a statement she was "utterly disgusted" by those who had shown "utter contempt for their fellow citizens".

"This type of activity during lockdown will not be tolerated and the full force of the law will be brought against anyone who engages in this type of illegal activity," she said.

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