This always worked for me. Got surrounded by big packs multiple times. Scariest was when i had my 6 months old german shepherd with me. At least 15 dogs came out of nowhere in the middle of the night, surrounding and trying to attack us. Banged the pot on my hand around, screamed my lungs out, made myself look bigger, also trying to hold on to the leash so she wouldn't go attacking them. That was one scary night and in the middle of Istanbul. Me and my dog could die that day if she wasn't trained and i didn't know what to do.
I love dogs, owned multiple dogs, smallest 20, biggest 60 kilos. I have a rescue dogo argentino and kangals at the family farm, and cared for pitbulls. I have a good relationship with all dogs, I love street dogs. But this is a problem that needs to be fixed, and as municipalities simply don't have the budget to no longer solve this humanely, there will be cullings in the next few years. No other ways around it. Kids cannot die like this.