What do the rioters hope to accomplish? Do they have any chance of success?

They call for higher wages, better food, almost anything. Papa Wakatsuki sensibly keeps his family in their barracks, knowing such violence will only bring greater problems. He considers the violence stupid. He keeps all of his family in the barracks during the day and night of the riot. He calls the members of the mob idiots and predicts that the mob violence will end in a death. Papa is right.