New Exchange: Life and Resistance in Authoritarian Times

We are happy to share the recording of the conversation “Living in Authoritarian Times. Everyday Struggles and Antifascist Tactics”, co-organized by the research project Emergencies of Authoritarianism, the April Institute and the CritUP network. In this exchange, panelists Rahul Bhatia, Volkan Çıdam, Mike Dele Dittrich Frydetzki, and Joseph Howley—moderated by Zeynep Gambetti—reflect on the contradictions, dilemmas, and intimate aspects of authoritarianism. They ask how it affects the way we behave, feel, and relate to each other; how it generates indignation, fear, paranoia, resignation, or trauma; and how it changes what we choose to hold dear and what we come to find unbearable. They also discuss everyday tactics and collective resistance; where they find inspiration and courage; and what wisdom they would share with their younger selves (or someone only recently beginning to live under authoritarian conditions). The event took place on October 26, 2025.