The rioting involved all sections of the population, most conspicuously the women

Summary:
Workmen, foreign mercenaries and the young of both sexes were involved in the rioting against Michael V. Psellos as an eyewitness was specially impressed by the participation of females, who had not before been seen outside the women's quarters. Women felt particularly strongly the insult to the most prominent Byzantine of their sex 
Dates:
1042 
Emperor Michael V Kalaphates (Michael 5)
  • The mob decided first to attack his family and pull down their fine, lavish houses; all were pulled to the ground ... not by the hands of men young and fit, but by girls and the immature of each sex; what was torn down was put up for sale (:) ἐπὶ τὸ γένος ἐκείνου χωρεῖν καὶ τοὺς σεμνοὺς ἐκείνων οἴκους καταστρέφειν καὶ ὑπερόγκους Psellos: Chronographia V 29.1-14
  • The remaining women were carried along like Maenads and formed no small unit to oppose him (:) τάγμα οὔ τι μικρὸν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀλιτήριον συνεστήκεσαν Psellos: Chronographia V 26.7-9
  • The women asked how he who was low born dared against the well born (Zoe 1) a plan such as no other soul would have thought of; saying this they ran together as if to set fire to the palace (:) κατετόλμησε καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐπ’ ἐκείνην ἐνθύμημα ὁπόσον οὐδεμία ψυχὴ τῶν πάντων ἐχώρησε Psellos: Chronographia V 26.13-17
  • There was no one to stop the women as all had now burst forth against his tyrannical soul; at first in groups, as if in a company, men took the field for battle; then with the City's whole contingent they marched against him (:) πάντων ἤδη ἐπὶ τὴν τυραννικὴν ἀναρραγέντων ψυχήν Psellos: Chronographia V 26.17-21
Michael Psellos (named Konstantinos till tonsure in 1054) (Michael 61)
  • He saw many women, whom none had previously seen outside the women's quarters, come out in public, shouting, beating their breasts and lamenting terribly at the suffering of Zoe 1 (:) ἐγὼ γοῦν πολλὰς ἑωράκειν, ἃς οὐδεὶς ἄχρι τότε τῆς γυναικωνίτιδος ἔξω τεθέαται, ... Psellos: Chronographia V 26.4-7
Empress Zoe (Zoe 1)
  • The workmen too prepared themselves for great daring; the foreigners and allies kept by the empress, that is the Scyths from the Tauros and others, could not contain their anger, but all wished to sacrifice their lives for her (:) πάντες καταθύειν ὑπὲρ τὴς βασιλίδος ἐβούλοντο τὰς ψυχάς Psellos: Chronographia V 25.17-22
  • The women asked where she was, she who alone was noble in spirit and physically lovely, she who alone of all women was free, sovereign over her whole family, who most lawfully holds the lot of empire (:) ποῦ ποτε, βοῶσαι, ... Psellos: Chronographia V 26.9-12
  • Michael 61 saw many women, whom none had previously seen outside the women's quarters, come out in public, shouting, beating their breasts and lamenting terribly at her suffering (:) δημοσίᾳ τε προϊούσας καὶ βοώσας τε καὶ κοπτομένας καὶ δεινὸν ἀπολοφυρομένας ... Psellos: Chronographia V 26.4-7
  • The women asked how the low-born (Michael 5) dared against pne who was well born a plan such as no other soul would have thought of; saying this they ran together as if to fire the palace (:) κατετόλμησε καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐπ’ ἐκείνην ἐνθύμημα ὁπόσον οὐδεμία ψυχὴ τῶν πάντων ἐχώρησε Psellos: Chronographia V 26.13-17
  • The women even joined together in lament, calling upon the empress (Zoe 1) (:) Zonaras 17.19.6