theBreaker.news Podcast: Budapest punk band wants China to listen and free ex-singer Michael Kovrig

For the week of Sept. 5, 2021:

He is one of Canada’s two most-famous Michaels, held hostage in China for 1,000 days.

Yet few have heard his voice, until now.

Balazs Sarkadi of Michael Kovrig’s former punk band Bankrupt (Bankrupt.hu)

While living in Budapest in 1999, Michael Kovrig recorded the single “Listen” with his Bankrupt bandmates for a punk compilation album.

On this edition of theBreaker.news Podcast, hear that song and Bankrupt’s 2021 single, “The Plane to Toronto,” recorded for the campaign to free the Two Michaels.

Kovrig’s former bandmate Balazs Sarkadi joins host Bob Mackin to recount Kovrig’s return to stage with Bankrupt in 2017. Kovrig visited the capital of Hungary, the year before China kidnapped him and Michael Spavor in retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou.

Sarkadi said it was surreal when he heard the news of his friend’s arrest and believed it was a misunderstanding that would be sorted out in a few days or maybe weeks. But then months became years. The turning point was Kovrig’s secret trial in March.

“After a while this song was born, The Plane to Toronto,” Sarkadi said. “I wanted to catch that moment when he is finally released and gets on the plane going home, and I wanted to sort of send some positive energy out there that this is going to happen.”

Also, hear from Troy Clifford, head of the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., on the shocking anti-vaccine protests at B.C. hospitals, and Kailin Che, the Conservative candidate in Vancouver-Granville on Liberal candidate Taleeb Noormohamed’s real estate flipping scandal.

Plus commentary and Pacific Rim and Pacific Northwest headlines.

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