Lots of requests for this. This is an effective meme as there is some truth to it. The Boston Tea Party was a protest which destroyed property and is generally remembered fondly today. But this is a shallow take, as there are many key differences with the Minneapolis riots.

The Tea Party protesters weren’t looting. They weren’t taking tea for themselves, they were destroying it for a specific purpose. There were even meetings leading up to it (which is why many dressed up as Indians). It wasn’t a burst of anger where everyone was out for themselves.

Leading up to the Tea Party, the British had imposed taxes on tea. The issue wasn’t so much the tax on tea (which had actually been reduced), but the ongoing grievance of taxation without representation.

To make matters worse, the British began to exempt the East India Company from these taxes, giving them an arbitrary monopoly privilege over all other merchants (again, without representation)

This caused outrage throughout the colonies, so much so that the other ports of New York, Philadelphia and Charleston all forced their tea consignees to resign, and the tea was either seized by customs or returned to England.

But the Massachusetts governor sided with Britain, and convinced his consignees to not back down to public pressure. Throw in the recent Boston Massacre, and you have the lead up to the Tea Party. Which occurred as the deadline to unload the tea was approaching.

But make no mistake, the “destruction of the tea” (as the protest was called back then) was serious business. It was clearly illegal and those involved risked severe punishment. When England found out, they retaliated harshly and cracked down even more on colonists’ freedoms.

They were starting a revolution & would soon need to risk their lives. Ironically, the Tea Party wasn’t celebrated in early America precisely because it destroyed property. It wasn’t until the 19th century when it became labeled as such and integrated as patriotic folklore.

There is little comparison with the Minneapolis riots. In most cases, the targets of vandalism and looting there are not related to what’s even being protested. It’s largely indiscriminate, mindless destruction of property.

There’s no coherent cause, no unjust law being targeted, no organization, no revolution, and the perpetrators are unlikely to fight for anything meaningful.

Sources:
http://booknotes.org/FullPage.aspx?SID=153825-1
https://www.masshist.org/revolution/teaparty.php