Peoples' convention to oppose Democratic Convention

Activists from the Recreate-68 Alliance held a press conference March 26 to announce opposition to the Democratic National Convention, which will be in Denver for four days at the end of August 2008.

Third and fourth from left, Melissa Kleinman of FIST and Larry Hales of the Denver International Action Center. WW photo

The group is looking to organize mass numbers of people to converge on Denver to resist the Democratic Party—a party that masquerades as the peoples’ party, but in reality is the lesser evil of the two major capitalist parties.

At the press conference, the organizers exposed the complicity of the Democratic Party in waging the war against the Iraqi people, the war in Afghanistan and the other conflicts and wars this country has been catapulted into by the puppet parties of the ruling class.

Tom Cincotta of the Colorado branch of the National Lawyers Guild announced that the alliance would resist attempts to silence it or to create the same kind of repressive atmospheres that existed at the DNC in Boston in 2004 and at the Republican National Convention in New York the same year.

Mark Cohen explained the alliance’s name. The group is not calling for violence but for the masses, especially the most oppressed, to voice their opposition. Cohen stated that it was the state that created the violence in 1968; as long as the state allows people free reign to protest, there will be no violence.

Glen Spagnuolo announced that the opposition would constitute a four-day festival. There will be teach-ins, presentations, marches and protests, as well as entertainment.

Melissa Kleinman of FIST—Fight Imperialism, Stand Together—declared that this is not simply about the war in Iraq, but an indictment of the capitalist system and its crony politicians. She laid out the atrocities committed during the Clinton administration as an example of the true aims of the Democrats.

Larry Hales said that the $50 million given to both parties in federal funds for security for their conventions is a continuation of the war against the poor because it is money that should be spent for peoples’ needs.

Finally, Barbara Cohen stated that locally, $50 million could keep schools open and provide for healthcare and other needs of people throughout the metropolitan area.

R-68 is asking individuals and organizations to form groups in their communities and campuses and start making plans to join them in Denver. Visit recreate68.org for more information.