Reaction to the Flour Riots 1877

Hi, my name is Marcela. This is a reaction from my Violence in American Art and Culture class readings. We been reading and discussing riots in the early years in America. Why and how these riots have occurred. We also have discuss if these riots are justified or not. For example, the flour riots. In my opinion I believe that these riots are justified. We all need food to survive, it’s one of our essential needs to live, if they take our only means of survival, the lack of food and water would make us sick and die of dehydration and starvation. In the book the author mentions that the people aren't dying of hunger but are close. He talks about how these people are starving and riots are erupting to stop the hunger. He describes the people who are on these riots as opportunist and they have no right to have riots because they aren't starving or dying from the lack of food. They are just merely starving and they are complaining for the flour price going up. The author seem really indecisive throughout the article. He first starts saying how these people are complaining about flour prices and how they shouldn't and yet he says he understands and somehow he agrees with them. Does the author really understand these people?