Yeah, but for most people(me included), if the rioters make me late for work I am angry at them,not at the government. Therefore I am more likely to support any effort to get rid of them as a nuisance.
Then, you were never on their side, anyway, and it makes no difference who you're angry at.
The protesters are making it very clear who they're angry at, and making it clear they're willing to escalate in the interest of altering the status quo, even if it costs them more than it costs those in power (and it always does). That's what desperation looks like.
I'm personally uncomfortable with the status quo, if the status quo has large segments of people who feel so unheard that they have to riot to get media, to get the attention of those in power, to have any sort of voice at all. Whether I agree with the tactics, or not, I recognize how much this means to so many of my fellow Americans, and I recognize that means there's something really wrong, even if I don't personally feel it in my daily life.
In short: I don't like people getting hurt. I don't like people going to jail. I don't like random acts of destruction. But, even moreso, I don't like my country stepping on the throats of ~13% of the population to maintain the privilege of a few. So, I'm gonna go to the events in my city in solidarity with the folks in Baltimore. Just like I went to the solidarity events for Michael Brown and Eric Garner. And, I'll go to the events for Larry Jackson, an unarmed black man who was gunned down by an Austin police officer, despite having committed no crime (in a rare instance of sanity, the officer has been indicted on a manslaughter charge). I'm a white, middle class, male. I don't necessarily understand all of this...but, I know I can't tell an oppressed person how to respond to their oppression.
Actually, it sounds like you understand it quite well.
How many people are you prepared to have killed on your behalf to achieve this?
The current situation with National Guard deployment is reminiscent of the setup to the Kent State shootings, almost exactly 45 years ago.
Instead of just seeing "riots are happening" the goal is for more people to ask "why are riots happening" -- with hopes of unveiling blatant injustices within our system.
That said, engaging in the conversation here is exactly a product of the riots, and exactly what is needed to effect change.
That's all despite the fact that our local coal mine has been bleeding money for years. There was no profit shown for almost a decade, they have resisted any plans for reforms or plans to sell the mine to private investors. Not to even mention that the management was hugely corrupt, consisting of family of family and friends of friends, where you could get a great position just by knowing the right people.
When it has finally reached the point where the mine could not possibly operate any further and had to be closed down, hundreds of those miners went on the streets, blocking traffic, burning tires, destroying local shops and tipping cars. As someone who lives in the same city - I cannot possibly sympathize with those people. They behaved like the worst mob, holding everyone else hostage just so they could remain in their comfy job with huge benefits.
I do understand that Baltimore is not the same. Not even remotely. But rioters who destroy other people's property are not gaining themselves any favours.
It seems like you've analyzed the motives and privilege of the rioters in that case, which is exactly what you should do. Just like rioters after sports games (e.g SF Giants riots, Seattle Seahawks riots) are not OK, it sounds to me like your hometown's protests were poorly motivated and terrible.
However, just as you state here they are NOT EQUIVALENT.
Consider their privilege and motives, and it's pretty clear. That's why these Baltimore riots are important and effective and distinct.
I'm not saying people / establishments harmed in the riots deserve to be. But I am also saying the riots as an event should not be simply decried but understood.
I saw the destruction caused, had 'friends' on social media (no longer, obviously) who were bragging about what they had looted. There was absolutely no aim or order to these riots, a lot of independent shops were trashed and looted, people lost livelihoods and for what.
I am acutely aware of my inherent distaste for rioting, I understand that was just one riot and they are not all the same, but it has given me a subconsciously dismissive attitude to riots as a criminal element abusing unrest to get away with robbery and assault.