This is what the organizers wanted in order to prove their point.
"Your honour, she was asking for it."
I think you are missing the point here. There are people out there who don't necessarily mind seeing something violent happen if it proves their point.
The point is that it doesn't matter, and you bringing it end up, no matter how you mean it, as a defense for the people committing violence. Are the victims of this violence a bunch of bigoted assholes; yes, but that's not really important, or it stop being important when other people react with violence.
Uh, no, it was not a defense, it was a valid point about why the event was held in the first place. Do you really think these people would have put on this event if they weren't looking for some sort of reaction?