The Oppressed See Revolution; The Oppressors See Riots

To the holders of privilege and keepers of power,
the American Revolution was terrorist, guerrilla warfare;
the Boston Tea Party was a thuggish riot destroying property;
the first students of color integrating southern high schools and universities were trouble makers;
and Stonewall was a bunch of violent, gender-bending freakish reprobates rioting in the streets and threatening the police.
Those who benefit from the status quo are often quicken to demonize those who have been harmed by the status quo when the harmed finally say "enough" in the only way they can be heard.