Great deal of difference: for one thing, during the Vietnam ordeal the protesters in the US had a very, very personal involvement and it was called "the draft" (a/k/a Selective Service). When people come to a "protest" ready to riot (as happens now) it is no longer a "protest" or a "demonstration" but a, well, a riot.

There's nothing to be gained from being pepper-sprayed, rubber-bulleted, beanbagged, teargassed, beaten, and arrested except among your "peers" ("Wow, he was busted in Toronto, man!"). The one thing that the "establishment" is and has been ready for is direct confrontation.

Instead, insert moles and have them work their way up to the top, THEN move the change. Problem is, the moles start liking the money and the perks....