Protests and riots

The last few days has me thinking about protests and riots. These terms get used a lot. We use them without thinking about how they are defined.

We make assumptions about these terms. Protests are generally viewed in a more positive manner than a riot. Protests are assumed to not include violence or destruction of property. Riots are assumed to be chaotic and destructive.

Protests are thought of as a group of citizens marching or gathering, holding signs, maybe hearing speeches and possibly chanting something. The idea is to voice ideas about a…