About 300 people, many wearing red as a symbol of their love of the division, marched from the union lawn to steps opposite the clocktower before delivering a petition with about 2000 signatures opposing the cuts to university council members.
The protest was the second in six weeks calling on the university to stop staff cuts in the anthropology and archaeology, English and linguistics, history languages and cultures and music departments.
In August, humanities division pro-vice chancellor Tony Ballantyne said staff in the departments would undergo redundancy processes because of a steady decline in the division's role since 2010.
Staff in the languages and cultures, history and music departments had been told how many jobs would be cut during the division shake-up.
The Otago Daily Times understands 5.5 full-time roles would be lost in the music department, and one full-time position within the French, German, Spanish and Japanese programmes.
University of Otago politics associate professor Brian Roper said the proposed cuts represented a ''fundamental attack'' on the university and more direct action was needed.
"This campaign needs to get larger, louder and more militant."
Proposed cuts to the university's European languages and classics departments had been stopped by militant action, including the occupation of the university registry building in 1996, he said.
A message from Scottish historian emeritus professor Sir Tom Devine was also read. Scholars from New Zealand and abroad wanted the university to rethink their decision, he said.
Tertiary Education Union national president Sandra Grey also spoke, and university council members Craig Marshall and Shane Montague-Gallagher received the petition on behalf of the council.
Chancellor John Ward said the council would consider the petition at a later date.
Following the protest, Prof Ballantyne said it was vital students understood no humanities departments or programmes would be stopped.
The university was undertaking initiatives including ''reshaping'' the bachelor of arts degree and building stronger international relationships to bolster the division's role.
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So, let me get this straight. When student numbers increase, staff numbers should increase. When student numbers fall, staff numbers should stay the same. Anything else is a "fundamental attack on the university".