ALBAWABA - Controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker (also known as HasanAbi) and broadcaster Cenk Uygur have reportedly been banned from entering the UK by the Home Office ahead of SXSW London, where they were scheduled to speak.
Uygur took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "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 criticizing Israel. Are we free anymore? This is oppression of Western citizens by our own governments on behalf of a different country!"
He added on the same platform that the UK has deemed him "a serious risk to the public order," due to his criticism of Israel.
Piker responded to the post and revealed, "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."
UK bans Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur over Israel criticism
Both Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur were scheduled to speak at SXSW London, where the streamer was going to discuss "How the American Left Learned to Speak the Internet," while the broadcaster was going to cover "Techno-Feudalism is Here. Who Are the Lords?"
According to The Times of London, UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood cancelled Uygur’s electronic travel authorization (ETA), a travel document that allows people to visit for up to six months, after deeming his presence "conducive to the public good." Mahmood's decision reportedly came after Uygur's "concerning" comments about the country's grooming gangs scandal and his "antisemtic" comments regarding the October 7 attacks in 2023.
Both individuals have consistently voiced their pro-Palestinian stance on social media and on political shows such as Piers Morgan Uncensored. This comes due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since 2023, which resulted in the killing of over 72,000 Palestinians and more than 172,000 injured, including women and children, as reported by medical sources in the Strip.
Medical reports indicate that many victims of the continuous attacks remain trapped under the rubble.
