If this was a protest of societal discontent, why not attack government institutions, leave statements, and actually make a point of communicating that? People are being attacked, mugged, and stores broken into and looted- these aren't the actions of those trying to make a political point; these are the actions of opportunistic thieves looking to get themselves a new tv. That's not to say that these actions might not be the result of societal discontent; I just don't think informing the government of their discontent is the point.