To interpret tearing something up in dreams will depend on whether the action is destructive or one of division in order to share.
If the article is already torn, then there is an aspect of our lives that is less than perfect and has been damaged in some way. [1]
If we are crying we may not feel we are able to give way to emotion in everyday life, but can do so in the safe scenario of a dream.
If we dream of someone we know in tears we perhaps need to look at our own conduct to see if it is appropriate.
If we do not know them then we have offended against our own code of behaviour. [2]
