It will scar and harm America going forward. While somewhat understandable, it solves nothing. I remember the riots and fires in major cities during the late 1960s. Obviously, they did not put a dent in America's racism problem. Probably the reverse as those who wanted segregation and second-class status for minorities, used the riots as justification that their fears and oppression of people of color was not only justified, but necessary, to save the nation. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mandela did not win the day by encouraging riots and destruction. Peaceful protests carried the day. Our current protests started peacefully, but there were a few, likely including some provacateurs who feared peaceful protest, who started the violence and then the herd/mob mentality took over. We saw this during the Viet Nam protests. FBI-paid infiltrators not only collected info and informed on protesters, they actually encouraged violence. At my wife's college, the notorious FBI asset Tommy the Traveler convinced angry and gullible freshman to prove their merit by setting fire to their own dorm, which housed the small ROTC program. While Tommy was engaged in this nonsense on multiple campuses, largely in NY state, he was collecting government benefits. The government was losing the war for public opinion regarding VietNam and was anxious to discredit the anti-war movement.
Today, we see President Trump trying to inflame, rather than calm. Some see the escalation of fear and anger as helping their political careers. So sad, but also so predictable.