Just to distinguish the difference between rioting and protesting (Because apparently people are that stupid) I've comprised another thread.

If anyone has any other thread ideas I'll happily consider them, and give you a shout out if yours is chosen.

What's the meaning of both?

Riot: A riot signifies the use of a violent disturbance either in a public setting or amidst a peaceful crowd.

Protest: A protest is simply a showing either by statement and/or by physically expressed objection.

Riot characteristics...

A riot though rather tame by its textbook definition, but it's by contrast characterized through its extreme amounts of violence, uncontrolled emotions, and outbursts of anger.

Violence is often seen through physical disputes, ...

thrown projectiles, property damage (Federal and private), as well as minor or major vandalism.

Also notable to point out is that all of which are illegal. Riots always have these acts linked to them thus making the overall action of a riot illegal and unconstitutional.

Characteristics of a protest.

A protest on the other hand pertains to a peaceful marching and showing of disapproval towards a shared goal, person, belief typically in opposition to the protesters own.

Peacefulness is show through marches, ...

public speaking, and a shared contempt for something. All of which obtained and carried out without the acts of a riot.

Protests can not be mostly peaceful, because if they show any signs of a riot then immediately they pertain to one, and by all standards are one.

Why do people mix them?

Because both can perceived as a common practice of shared and mass disagreement they're often attributed to be the same.

Many peoples perception of law and constitutional acts is often blurred, and many don't see all acts in regards to both especially

the 2020 riots.

In the case of the 2020 riots it's definitively clear that by far nearly all of what we've seen can be mistaken as protests (as by media bias, false narratives and quotas), but in actuality (proven by footage and first hand accounts) these are riots.

-Taking over blocks of a city and declaring an autonomous zone (CHAZ) was highly illegal and by definition in it's early stages had elements of a riot.

-Breaking into stores, stealing items, vandalising, were seen in nearly every place in which said "peaceful protests" happened.

So once again that's also rioting.

-Laying siege upon Federal buildings by lighting them on fire, vandalising them, is once again illegal and is a riot.

-Tearing down and vandalizing historical monuments and statues is illegal and pertained to a riot.

-Throwing projectiles such as rocks, bricks, fireworks, bottles pipe bombs, molotov cocktails, at the general direction or directly at Federal troops or police officers is illegal and is classified as a riot.

Riots are not constitutional, and in every way can be easily identified. People claiming these are "peaceful protests" or "mostly peaceful protests" in majority, are completely wrong.

Either they don't know the distinct differences, and their perceptions are flawed...

or they know exactly what's happening, and they're purposefully lying in order to defend acts of violence.

Also important to add is that in all situations these riots have been carried out by both BLM and Antifa. Riots bring fear and terrorists organizations peruse fear tactics.

Hopefully this thread conveys several things in a useful light and helps you to form judgements and conclusions.
Hopefully it helps you think and process in an improved mannor.