It'll get bloody... though that's not necessarily enough of a reason not to act if the riots can't be stopped any other way.
The police have their opportunity to at least try and stop this before the military is called in ... hopefully they can make something happen. And of course the rioters themselves have the opportunity to stop it anytime they choose.
As harsh as it sounds, if it's a choice between the lives of the rioters and the lives of the innocent victims of the rioters you go with the later over the former. Will the military be as surgical about it as we would like? I'm guessing no unfortunately... but at a certain point enough is enough.