For some reason, when I went to Harvard back in the 50s, there used to be a habit of starting riots in Harvard Square on Saturday nights, after the football games. (Panty raids were also the thing, but that was another story.)
Anyway, to make a long story short, the Dean of Freshman called us all together and said, "If you happen to pass through Harvard Square while a riot is going on, don't blame the police for arresting you. Steer clear of riots!"
Good advice, I think. And even better advice when it comes to riots in a place like Syria. Watching a demonstration? Even if true, that was hardly a smart thing to do.
My Dad went to Harvard in the 1930’s and he said rioting was the campus past time. He showed me some photos once of “Dictators Day” when all students would dress either as Hitler, Mussolini or Roosevelt. He said one of these events turned into a ferocious melee with hordes of students climbing onto the roofs of trolleys and disconnecting the power then pushing the trolley on its side to block the road. He said the police arrived and fired tear gas with “Dictators” retrieving the canisters and throwing them back at the cops.