Understanding why someone does what they do is not the same as justifying it, and that's a little of the tension I seem to get reading through comments about this situation (not in this thread, but on blog entries, etc).

I am too far removed from this situation to have any idea of what the real dynamics are, but in a general sense I think it's true to say that people's actions are often heavily influenced by their environment. This, however, does not negate the personal responsibility an individual has with regard to his or her behavior. In the extreme case, you may feel you have to go to war in order to stand up for yourself- this may be the right choice, but it IS a choice that has consequences. I doubt rioting ever falls into this category, though.

From the standpoint of society, you cannot really control another person's behavior, though you can set boundaries to protect yourself. You also can work toward creating a supportive environment that allows those willing/capable of making positive choices to flourish.

From what I've read, it seems like life has been hard for a lot of people in this situation and they could have been treated better. This response is certainly not positive nor justified, and I'd guess it's likely that many are taking the actions they are not in an effort to improve the situation, but because they feel they can.