Fighting Fascism from Hungary to No Kings
Indivisible's Ezra Levin & László Upor of the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest on creative resistance
The lovefest between Donald Trump and Hungary’s strongman leader Viktor Orbán has gone on for years. As they exchange praises for their anti-immigrant, anti-woman and anti-queer agendas, it stands to reason that our two countries’ resistance movements have much to share. You’d be hard pressed to find that conversation on national television, until now.
My guests this week are Ezra Levin & László Upor, two experienced resisters from opposite sides of the world — utilizing similar strategies against autocracy. As you’ll hear, there are many parallels between resistance movements in the U.S. and Hungary, and no shortage of creativity and innovation.
Ezra Levin is the co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, the grassroots movement behind such protests as the historic Hands Off and No Kings rallies. László Upor is former Vice Rector and Acting Rector of the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest — the one university that fought back when the Orbán administration began taking control of Hungary’s universities.
In Hungary, students and faculty formed a human snake from the university campus to the parliament. People in frog suits were among the protesters at No Kings. “It’s really difficult for an authoritarian regime to combat that,” says Levin. “Because how do you push back against people having a good time, exercising their basic rights to show up in public with each other?”
Subscribers will receive the full, uncut conversation from this week’s show, where Levin and Upor share questions they have for each other. And catch my commentary on the donations the IRS can’t audit. .
Stay kind, stay curious,
Laura
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In this “rewind” episode from 2023, Laura revisits a powerful conversation with Marjorie Kelly, author of Wealth Supremacy, and Edgar Villanueva of the Lumbee people and founder of the Decolonizing Wealth Project. Together, they break down “capital bias” — the rules that prioritize wealth over people, manufacturing, and the planet — and explore how this bias continues to deepen inequality and undermine democracy. Take a listen here.