Violence is the dumb solution.
Do not confuse political violence in protest with real violence.
Real violence comes from the one who create the oppressions. Choosing to accept it without doing anything and tanking waves after waves of oppressions will only result in you being more oppressed and with a power that think that they will be able to do more and more.
Violence in itself and as a way to protest is not a problem in itself, just like anger.
Yes, some properties might be damaged, and it's sad but when you have no choice, it's that or giving your a*s to the ennemy to be spanked endlessly with oppressive political reforms.
So you tell, me, do you have another choice ?
If people are running rampant through cities and stealing everybody's stuff, they aren't revolutionaries
Well.. keep that mindset and we will see if your country will be able to face real authoritarism.
What you are describing are not the riots in itself, but peripherical behaviors that are sadly not really avoidable unless there is a strong organization.
Destroying a government building is one thing. Ransacking a street of family businesses is completely different.
Yeah, I agree. But unless you manage to get all your ally under the same synchronization, those type of actions will happens. Either because of random dumb people who take advantage or because of an infiltration of the power.
So you need to ask yourself : How much oppression are you willing to accept until you are ready to use political protest violence to make a point and be ready to accept the consequences ?