Ron,
I think this is a very important issue, as someone is going to end up seriously injured or dead in the future.
If the report on the number of people involved is correct, I wonder weather or not it could be classed as a civil disturbance?
In such circumstances, to pack up and leave the venue was I feel certainly the best course of action. If the people involved were throwing stones at the anglers, you cannot defend yourself, so it was I feel the best course of action.
It does spring to mind that IF the people involved had indeed been frustrated by the lack of opportunity to ?demonstrate? the previous day, it is a large group to camp up over night, it sounds like local knowledge may have been needed to target this particular venue?and logistically move the ?large group? around.
Within any group which is acting in this manner, there are usually only a very small number of leaders, then it ripples out as regards how much action the rest of the group are willing to become involved with.
Because of the large number of people involved, it is incredibly difficult to formulate any kind of ?self defence?.
For me as an individual, my own course of action is already decided by past experience, my own responses would I know be outside of the law, but if your life is in immanent danger, and the police are not going to instantly appear, then I am at peace with the repercussions.
I fear for the older anglers in a situation like this, but one thing is for sure, if this ?incident? does start to become a more common occurrence, the numbers shall at some stage be equal, there shall be no media present, and it wont just be retaliation with a whack from a riding crop.