• Listen to this segment

Just over seven years after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Isaac is following in the same footsteps. Thousands of residents in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have been asked to evacuate. As a safety precaution, the GOP has canceled the first day of the Republican National Convention being held this week in Tampa, Florida.

The convention is likely to move forward starting tomorrow, with this year’s RNC theme being, “We Can Do Better.” A small army of delegates, GOP stalwarts, and media have descended on the Tampa Bay Times Forum for a political bonanza that will see Mitt Romney formally nominated as the Republican Presidential candidate. Speakers will include famous and politically influential Republicans such as Speaker of the House John Boehner, Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker, and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Concerns persist that delegates still loyal to former candidate Ron Paul may use their clout to stage a protest against Romney.

But any internal protests inside the Times Forum, will likely pale in comparison to those outside, as a host of labor, student, and human rights groups have gathered in Tampa this morning to march against the policies of the Republican party. The “Coalition to March on the RNC” has organized a mile long march from Perry Harvey Sr. Park to the Times Forum with over 60 social justice organizations participating. In a statement released ahead of time, organizers said, “We will be marching in the streets of Tampa, Florida, demanding jobs, healthcare, education, equality and peace….we want money spent on human needs, not on wars overseas and corporate greed.” Despite the cancellation of the RNC’s first day, the march has moved ahead has planned. We go now live to the streets of Tampa, Florida to speak with

GUEST: Carlos Montes, long time Los Angeles based activist, immigrant rights advocate, and founder of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression

Find out more at www.marchonthernc.com.