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As Democrats gear up for their party’s convention in Denver, Colorado later this month, activists are making plans of their own. As has been the tradition for decades now, major party conventions are favored targets of dissatisfied progressives. You may recall our recent interview with Tom Hayden, a key figure in the demonstrations 40 years ago against the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago at the height of the Vietnam war. Eight years ago, tens of thousands of activists mobilized in downtown Los Angeles when Al Gore was nominated as the Democratic Party presidential candidate at his party’s convention here. Now, after 8 years of George W Bush, the majority of Americans are clearly interested in a different direction for the nation. But whether they will find that “change” with presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama is an open question. A diverse array of organizations have formed various coalitions in Denver and have planned a dizzying array of activities.

In their own words, the Alliance for Real Democracy has “pledged to bring a colorful call to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while drawing the connection to the global climate crisis.” Meanwhile Recreate-68 plans to take to the streets of Denver to “resist a two-party system that allows imperialism and racism to continue unrestrained.” And, Unconventional Action aims to “organize militant direct action that manifests opposition to both the Democratic and Republican Parties.”

GUESTS: Larry Hales with Recreate-68 (www.recreate68.com), Duke Austin with Alliance for a Real Democracy (www.tentstate.org), and Tim Simons with Unconventional Denver (www.unconventionalaction.org).

Pacifica Network will be bringing you live coverage from both conventions in late August and early September.