Senator Barack Obama will accept the nomination for president tonight at the convention in Denver. But here in Chicago, a group will be re-living the convention of 1968.

Forty years ago today, demonstrators converged in Grant Park to protest the Democratic National Convention. Tensions between police and protesters erupted in violence that was broadcast across the country. A group called Reenact 68 plans to commemorate the anniversary tonight in the park. But organizer Chip Hamlett says he doesn’t expect any clashes with police.

HAMLETT: It’s, in a lot of ways, more of a re-imagining than a re-enactment. We want to see what would’ve happened if there hadn’t been a bloody confrontation.

So this protest will be more of a party.

HAMLETT: We’re going to have bands. We’re going to have food. We’ll have costumes and props.

Ironically, just like the original protesters, Reenact 68 was denied a permit for the event. A Chicago Park District representative says this was due to a scheduling conflict.