::news:: ::mission statement:: ::faq:: ::get involved:: ::contact::

Is this a protest?

It is more a ritual than a protest. Protests are concerned with making statments; we are more interested in raising questions.

The '68 demonstrations are remembered for the widespread violence which occured. Will this historical re-enactment be violent?

We emphatically hope not. We assume that both police and demonstrators have learned a thing or two over the last 40 years about not throwing rocks at each other or beating one another with billy clubs. These are merely hopes and assumptions; each of us acts autonomously, and we, the organizers, wield no absolute control over the outcome of the re-enactment. Out personal commitment to a non-violent event, however, is complete and unwavering.

In what sense, then, is it a historical re-enactment?

We are superimposing a historical framework upon the present moment, acting not so much as historians as historical scientists, using the raw materials of the past as a basis for experimentation. To what extent this approach comprises a strict "historical re-enactment" is a question of semantics. We are actors in a dual sense--that is, both portraying and participating.

Will Allen Ginsberg be there?

Allen Ginsberg has long since passed on, as have Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, Bobby Seale, Phil Ochs, David Dellinger, William S. Burroughs, Terry Southern, and most of the other celebrity class of 1968. They will, however, be channeled by competent spiritual mediums, and, if the vibrations are powerful enough, they will perhaps be made manifest. Nor were the '68 protests comprised entirely of avant-garde artists/activists or celebrity comedians--there were thousands of lesser-known but equally passionate demonstrators in the streets, and many of them will join us this August.

Your "celebrity class of 1968" is uniformly male. What gives?

In commemorating these revolutionaries of yesteryear, we must also cast a critical eye upon their legacy. The "Movement," as it was then known, was not without its grevious flaws, one of which was persistent sexism. Women were, in the summer of '68, rarely granted time on the soapbox or space on the front-lines. Rectifying this glaring imbalance is just one of many ways we hope to improve on the history we are portraying.

Will this be a family-friendly event?

You bet! They don't teach this stuff in the schools; bring the kids out for an open-air history lesson. There will be entertainment for children of all ages--live music, food, costumes, horses, and more!

What should I bring?

Interpret this event as you will, and act accordingly. We are not here to tell anyone what to do. There is a multitude of archival material available at various Chicago libraries--books, films, photographs, newspaper and magazines, posters and broadsheets--that can provide an excellent composite-portrait of the 1968 DNC. Use these materials and your imagination to "Bring Yourself to History". Costumes, props (signs, megaphones, musical instruments, flowers, clipboards) and historical propaganda are strongly suggested. From there, the possibilities are endless.

Will I get arrested?

It is, admittedly, a possibility. Hundreds were arrested in '68. The forces of law and order, even in this brave new millenium, are known to react disproportionately when they feel their pride has been threatened. In staging this re-enactment, we are highlighting one of the darkest chapters in the history of our city government, and we're not sure they'll take particularly kindly to it. It is our sincere hope that no one gets arrested, and we certainly don't plan on antagozing anyone, but in the event that we do get arrested , imagine the preposterous message it will send--40 years later, the Chicago police department is still arresting demonstrators at the '68 DNC! Unbelievable!

Questions? Comments? Issues?

Send feedback to 1968redux@gmail.com.