Kosnik: What is this Recreate-68?

And for the love of God, what do they want, asks diarist "Dash Riprock":

Fox News is "reporting" (always have to put that in quotes) that there will be between 20 and 50 thousand activists protesting at the Democratic National Convention.

One of the groups is Recreate 68. According to their website, they are part of a group called All Nations Alliance. There are other websites of fringe groups that are talking about disruptions and protests at the Democratic National Convention. The question I'm asking is "who are they really?" Perhaps there are some in this community who know more than I do.

It would be good to get a handle on who is thinking about trying to make the convention into something that hurts progressive causes.

Are they Republicans? Are they simply nuts? What? Another website is DNCDisruption08.org.

What's their beef? Why disrupt the convention? What good does it do?

Just a read of some of these websites is that they seem to be interesting in protesting [sic] more than they are interested in the actual issues they are protesting. Perhaps it gives them a sense of community and purpose. That's the charitable view.

The other view is that is there any evidence that these groups could be funded and encouraged by the right? Anything is possible there. Rush Limbaugh called for riots at the convention.

Now do I think anything will happen? Probably not. And don't get me wrong, I think the right of protest is fundamental. But when you can't really articulate what you are protesting or what you want to change, it's like masturbation at best -- or at worst it's a tactic by Obama's political opponent.

Any ideas. I'll update as I learn more. I'm asking you for information.

Many commenters agree that Recreate-68 must be a Limbaughian plot:

From what I heard, they're dittoheads sent by Limbaugh.... I heard it (I think) on the Randi Rhodes show.

Unimpeachable. The comment gets this response:

Truly? Fuck.

One person thinks Recreate-68 might even want, well--

Sounds more like them trying to say, god forbid, "assassinate" senator Obama.

To which another helpfully adds:

1968 is when MLK was assassinated.

Did you know that? Anyway, another vote for R!6!8 being a Limbaugh joint:

I think what they want to "Recreate" about "68" is the riots that occurred at the 1968 Chicago Democratic Nantional Convention. They sound like part of Rush Limbaugh's "Opperation Chaos" to me.

The evil wrought by Opperation Chaos will last for centuries. A couple of commenters think someone even more horrible than Rush Limbaugh is behind the Recreateers:

exactly - pat buchanan is up to his old "dirty tricks" too.

Buchanan and the dirty tricks campaign

The old anti-semite would fit right in, have to admit that. One plaintive-sounding commenter just wants clarification:

are anarchists the same as lefties?

Whatever they are, they apparently don't like blacks, either:

Obama will be the next President of the United States of America. Those f*cks should just get used to the idea of a black man as president. Barack won fair and square. Those people need to get over their racists views.

Finally, though, somebody shows up who claims to know what he's talking about:

I have been following Recreate 68 since last year starting with this story I posted at SquareState.net. . . .

They are more bark than bite, and "they" are in large part their spokesman, Glenn Spaguolo [yes, Spaguolo]. He has been involved in actions like this since the real '68 and he is less suited this decade to really get into it with the cops. I expect some mild civil disobedience from them, but for the most part it is theater.

Spaguolo, of course, wasn't even born until 1970 or so. No, the last commenter (so far) comes closest:

I'm pretty sure they are just protesting for the hell of it