US political commentators denied entry to UK by Home Office

US political commentators denied entry to UK by Home Office

Two left-wing content creators have been blocked from entering the United Kingdom after they said the Home Office revoked their visas.

US citizens Hasan Piker, who is a Twitch streamer and political commentator and Cenk Uygur, who co-founded and hosts left-wing populist show "The Young Turks" on YouTube, were both due to speak at the SXSW London festival and an event in Oxford.

The pair have blasted the UK government, claiming they were "banned for criticising Israel".

Piker has come under fire for making pro-Hamas comments while Uygur has called Israel's actions in Gaza "barbaric". The Home Office has been contacted for comment.

Posting on X, Uygur said: "I've been banned from the UK.

"I tried to get on a flight to London to attend SXSW London and give a speech at Oxford. I've been banned for criticising Israel. Are we free any more?

"This is oppression of western citizens by our own governments on behalf of a different country."

Replying to this post, Piker wrote: "The UK has revoked my visa as well. All at the behest of Israel. The west is betraying 'liberal values' for a genocidal fascist foreign government. Soon we will all become Israel."

It is understood that both men had their Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) cancelled.

A decision to cancel an ETA can be based on assessment of the potential risk someone might pose to the UK public good.

Labour MP David Taylor, who last week called for Piker to be barred from entering the UK, thanked the home secretary for the decision.

"There's no reason to open our doors to those who seek to spread hate and division, especially to those who've supported a proscribed terror group," Taylor wrote on X.

SXSW London is a six-day event in East London's Shoreditch that holds talks about business, technology, music, film and culture.

A spokesperson for the event said they were aware the pair were unable to travel to the UK because of the Home Office revoking their visas.

"Decisions on entry to the UK are a matter for the Home Office and the individuals concerned.

"SXSW London's role is to convene a broad range of diverse voices and perspectives."

"We remain focused on delivering a programme this week fostering open dialogue and exchange of ideas and featuring more than 800 speakers, artists and screenings," the spokesperson added.

Piker has a daily audience of 30,000 for his hours-long streams on the Twitch platform, according to a profile on the SXSW London website, which has since been taken down.

He was listed at an event called "How The American Left Learned To Speak The Internet". Uygur was scheduled to be part of a discussion called "Techno-Feudalism Is Here. Who Are The Lords?"

Other comments from Piker include a 2019 statement that "America deserved 9/11" which he later acknowledged was inappropriate.

He also stood by comments saying Hamas was "1,000 times better" than Israel and he "would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time" in an episode of Pod Save America.

Piker, who is Uygur's nephew, told Variety last year that he was not antisemitic but is "anti-Israel".

The Community Security Trust, a Jewish community group, said in a statement that it welcomed the decision to bar Piker from entering the UK and "the government's recognition that there must be consequences when public figures cross the line into hate speech".

"While criticism of Israel is entirely legitimate, Piker has a record that goes far beyond robust or controversial political speech, including rhetoric that contains antisemitic themes".

Green Party leader Zack Polanski described the visa denials as "a really grim decision".

"People often talk about [the] dangerous road we'd go down under a Reform government - this is another clear warning we're down there already.

"A Labour government doing everything possible to silence criticism of the Israeli government."

Liberty Human Rights group also criticised the government's decision, as director Akiko Hart said "in recent months we have seen the government preventing people from entering the UK where their speech is deemed to have crossed the line".

"It is important that any Government decisions that restrict speech adhere to the very high standards set out in UK law – and that the Government is transparent about why and how decisions have been made."

Uygur's show, The Young Turks, covers topics including US politics, global conflict, sports and pop culture and is one of the most popular shows of its kind on YouTube, attracting hundreds of millions of monthly views.

The government also blocked 11 foreign nationals described by Sir Keir Starmer as "far-right agitators" from entering the UK ahead of a Tommy Robinson-led rally in central London last month, including US-based anti-Islam influencer Valentina Gomez.