Two leftwing US political commentators, Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker, have been barred from entering the UK to attend speaking engagements, prompting free speech activists to accuse the government of failing to protect freedom of expression. The Home Office cancelled their electronic travel authorisations (ETA), stating their presence “may not be conducive to the public good”.
Uygur, host of the Young Turks, and Piker, who runs daily streams, were due to appear at SXSW London. Uygur also said he was scheduled to speak at a University of Oxford student event. Both have faced accusations of propagating antisemitism, which they deny, insisting their criticism is directed at Israel, not Jewish people.
Jemimah Steinfeld, chief executive of Index on Censorship, described the bans as a “worrying escalation”, while Akiko Hart, director of Liberty, called for transparency over the government’s rationale. Steinfeld argued the bans are “paternalistic” and “assumes we are just passive consumers of views rather than people who can think, judge and challenge”. She added: “Free speech is tested by hard cases and, in this instance, the UK is failing.”
Piker has faced backlash for comments including saying “America deserved 9/11” in 2019, which he later apologised for, and characterising Hamas as “1,000 times better” than Israel. Uygur has been accused of using antisemitic tropes in his criticism of Israeli influence over US policy. Both maintain they are not antisemitic.
Labour MP David Taylor called for Piker to be prevented from speaking, and the Community Security Trust urged SXSW organisers not to platform him. Zack Polanski, leader of the Green party in England and Wales, called the bans “grim”, warning of a “dangerous road” under a potential Reform government. Uygur criticised the UK and Israeli governments, saying: “The mighty United Kingdom is afraid of speech that shows you who’s responsible for … war crimes.”
