Cenk Uygur Says UK Visa Revoked as Hasan Piker Is Blocked
cenk uygur said the UK revoked his visa after he and Hasan Piker were blocked from entering the country for planned appearances at SXSW London and an event in Oxford. The two US commentators said the Home Office cancelled their travel authorisation, stopping them from making the trip.
Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker
Uygur posted on X: “I've been banned from the UK.” He added, “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?”
He also wrote, “This is oppression of western citizens by our own governments on behalf of a different country.” Hasan Piker replied on X that “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.”
SXSW London in Shoreditch
The two were due to speak at SXSW London, a six-day event in East London’s Shoreditch, and at Oxford. The pair are both US citizens: Piker is a Twitch streamer and political commentator, while Uygur co-founded and hosts The Young Turks on YouTube.
Both men said they were banned for criticising Israel. Piker has come under fire for making pro-Hamas comments, and Uygur has called Israel’s actions in Gaza barbaric. The Home Office had revoked their visas or Electronic Travel Authorisations.
David Taylor and the Home Office
A decision to cancel an ETA can be based on an assessment of the potential risk someone might pose to the UK public good. Last week, Labour MP David Taylor called for Piker to be barred from entering the UK, then 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. For the two commentators, the immediate result is simple: their planned UK appearances are off, and any return would depend on a new travel decision by the Home Office.
