Nation

Conservatives on Parade

Attempting to counteract the belief that political activism is the sole property of the left, the College Republican National Committee plans to highlight Democrat John Kerry's ever shifting political stances during the Dems' convention. The Thursday event will feature a pair of 10-foot-tall cardboard flip-flops and students dressed as seven-foot-tall flip-flops. See crnc.org for details. DANIEL MAGLIOCCO

Band Against Bush

So, your mom is telling you to come home the week of the GOP convention—"just to be safe," she says. Follow her advice and you'll miss the party, and not just the Grand Old one, either. Not since the Reagan administration has there been a confluence of music and protest politics this vocal and incendiary—and thanks to the Web, this organized.

The members of Bands Against Bush, with sounds ranging from indie and hardcore punk to hip-hop, serve up voter-registration cards and informational flyers. Some have included advocacy for environmental groups and petitions for impeaching Bush.

On Tuesday, July 31, BAB will stage a national Day of Action. In New York, catch the Assault, Live Girls!!, the Dead Betties, and the All Lady Beat-Off drumming competition at Trash (256 Grand Street, Brooklyn). For more info, see bandsagainstbush.org, stillwerise.org, and babnyc.org. D. SHAWN BOSLER

Sound Off Safety

This weekend, the Center for Anti-Violence Education will offer the first of two workshops on civil disobedience designed to prep protesters for the Republican National Convention. Working with martial arts instructors and veteran protest leaders, activists will spend two days learning how to get heard without getting hurt. Free four-hour classes will be held in Brooklyn (July 31–August 1), and in Manhattan (August 5–6).

Participants are asked to register in advance. Call 718-788-1775 or e-mail effectiveaction@cae-bklyn.org. For a brochure, see cae-bklyn.org/source/effectiveaction1.pdf.