YouTube political commentator Cenk Uygur and his nephew, Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, have been blocked from entering the United Kingdom after the Home Office cancelled their Electronic Travel Authorisations, forcing them to miss scheduled appearances at SXSW London this week. The Home Office said the cancellations were made because their presence in the UK “may not be conducive to the public good,” adding that such decisions are based on an assessment of the potential risk an individual may pose to UK society. An ETA allows eligible visitors to enter the UK for up to six months without a visa.
Uygur, founder and CEO of left-wing politics channel The Young Turks, said on social media that he had been refused the right to travel and claimed he was being prevented from flying to London to speak at SXSW and Oxford. He said the ban was retaliation for his criticism of Israel, calling it oppression by Western governments on behalf of another country. Piker later posted that his visa had also been revoked, echoing Uygur’s claim that the decision was made at Israel’s behest.
Both men have been outspoken critics of Israel and have accused it of genocide over its military campaign in Gaza. Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the death toll in Gaza and the wider Palestinian territories has risen dramatically, according to Palestinian health authorities. The two were scheduled to speak at SXSW London on Wednesday and Thursday, with Uygur set to address “Techno-Feudalism is Here. Who Are the Lords?” and Piker appearing in a session titled “How the American Left Learned to Speak the Internet.”
Piker has previously faced controversy over remarks about Hamas and a past comment that “America deserved 9/11,” which he later apologized for. Uygur, who briefly ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024, has also been critical of Israel’s influence on U.S. politics. UK press reports said the entry blocks were intended to reduce the risk of inflaming antisemitism. SXSW London opened this week and is scheduled to run through the week.
