An illegal protest by a group of hunters yesterday escalated into a vicious assault on birdwatchers including one man who was beaten and robbed next to a seven-year-old child.

“We were just bird-watching in Buskett when I got a call warning me that a group of around 30 hunters were headed straight for us. I ran but six of them cornered me. They beat me, punched me in the face, kicked me and stole around €11,000 worth of camera equipment.

“We had a young child with us,” the shaken and injured birdwatcher, who asked to remain anonymous, told Times of Malta.

He said the boy was among the group of birdwatchers who fled the scene when a barrage of rocks came raining down on them from the hunters’ ambush.

“It was like a planned attack, they threw stones and I was hit, so were others.

“We were lucky no one got hit on the head. Someone could have died,” said another birdwatcher, who was yesterday receiving medical treatment for leg wounds sustained from the rock grenades.

He had taken it upon himself to care for the young boy, who appeared to be shell-shocked by the attack.

“There was a young boy who saw it all. He is still terrified. I don’t think he knows what hit him yet,” he said.

The violence was committed by a small group from a larger gathering of about 200 hunters who held an unauthorised protest march through the streets of Valletta in the afternoon.

They beat me, punched me in the face, kicked me and stole around €11,000 worth of camera equipment

The protest was not called by any of the hunting lobbies, and representatives of the Hunters’ Federation, FKNK, and St Hubert Hunters (KSU) were not present.

It was sparked by the government’s decision to close the autumn hunting season early, on Saturday, following a series of hunting illegalities.

The hunters, many wearing camouflage hunting gear, marched down Republic Street hurling profanities and beer cans and even assaulted the Times of Malta journalist and photographer at the scene. Police followed the hunters but were reduced to being bystanders as the group outnumbered them several times over.

‘Muscat’s just lost thousands of votes’

Aware of their numerical advantage, the hunters walked through the capital chanting obscenities and vowing never to vote for the Labour Party again.

“You depended on us but you can forget all our votes now,” one protester, who called for “revenge” on the government, shouted.

Many of the hunters claimed to be Labour supporters but said they had been abandoned by the party.

“He [Joseph Muscat] needed us for votes. Well, now he’ll see because he has just lost thousands of them.

“My entire family won’t vote,” one said, adding that he had taken to burning his collection of Labour Party flags.

Another questioned why all hunters were being punished for the illegal actions of just a few.

“When the Justice Minister drove his car into someone, why didn’t Joseph [Muscat] take away everyone’s driving licence? Isn’t this the same thing? Why are we being targeted?” said another hunter, who was later involved in the assault on the Times of Malta staff.

The protesters, however, expressed their irritation at what they perceived as a lack of support from the organisation.

“[FKNK president] Joe Perici Calascione isn’t here. I don’t know why we even bother paying them. They aren’t supporting us in this,” another protester said. He was among those who later hurled bottles of beer at the Labour Party club in Republic Street.

The group marched to St George’s Square, where the protest oscillated between harmless posturing and aggressive threats, some directed against the Prime Minister. It later marched to Auberge de Castile and then the majority disbanded.

A number of them, however, said they planned to ambush members of Birdlife. Among those attacked, in fact, was Birdlife director Steve Micklewright. He said the birdwatchers had been assaulted because of a perceived association with the NGO.

“Yes, there were some of our members there, but there were also civilians who were just trying to enjoy the lovely countryside on a Sunday afternoon in Malta,” he said.

FKNK last night condemned any violent actions that may have occurred as a result of the protest but said it understood the hunters’ frustration. It called the government’s decision hasty and incorrect, adding it was probably taken as a result of a “false report made by a local journalist”. It may organise other protests, starting today.

KSU called the protest “unofficial, illegal and abusive” and condemned the “thuggery and abusive behaviour that has no place in civilized society”. It expressed solidarity with the birdwatchers and their families over the “savage attack”.

Birdlife meanwhile called for improved security and rapid action by the authorities to arrest the attackers and prevent further attacks, saying these situations always escalate otherwise.

Times of Malta staff assaulted

Police had to form a ring around a Times of Malta journalist and photographer yesterday after hunters lashed out at them during the protest in Valletta.

The protesters, many of whom appeared to have been drinking alcohol for several hours, reached out for photo­grapher Chris Sant Fournier’s camera and ordered him not to take pictures. “Put that camera away or I’ll take it and I’ll fix you up,” one barked.

A pair of hunters reached out for him and shoved the police attempting to shield him. At one point someone tried to poke Mr Sant Fournier in the eye and he got hit in the face.

Moments later, the protesters turned against Times of Malta journalist Ivan Martin and one of them kicked him.

The protesters made a series of death threats against the journalist and even threw beer cans and bottles at him.

Mr Martin was then escorted by a police officer for the duration of the protest but protesters continued to hurl insults at him. One hunter was restrained by at least five other protesters as he threatened to teach the reporter a lesson.