Protests happen when we as humans demonstrate our general disapproval of an idea or event through large gatherings. People march through a community of their choice in very large numbers, and in some instances trash or loot local venues, which is nothing new. It’s been done this way for quite some time. 

One could raise the question: Is property damage okay? Let’s take into account the rather subtle difference between what a riot is, and what a protest is. A riot is traditionally viewed as a public disturbance. Whereas a protest is commonly thought of as a somewhat organized public display of dissatisfaction. Rampaging through an entire community of businesses, and leaving behind broken windows and trash scattered all over the street doesn’t sound good on paper, even if it was because you’re expressing your hatred for something. It’s almost the equivalent of a group of kindergarteners throwing temper tantrums and throwing crayons at the teacher. But with destruction, comes publicity – pulling off a stunt with such a degree would probably catch the attention of a few news media outlets. Bringing attention to the cause is another way to spread your message, good or bad. 

At the end of the day, protesting and rioting both exist for the same reason – the outcome of this argument varies between person to person. One person might favor peaceful protesting over rioting. Whether or not peaceful protesting is better than rioting is entirely up to you. One thing is clear though, destroying another’s property whilst protesting violently is morally wrong. In some places, it’s prohibited by law! A large group of civilians rummaging angrily through a community of businesses and wrecking everything in their path isn’t going to  spark change in the world. If you wish to elicit change in the country, it wouldn’t hurt doing so without violence.