'Ridiculous': Social media reacts as Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur denied entry to UK

“'Ridiculous': Social media reacts as Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur denied entry to UK Submitted by Hannah. Smith on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 15:04 Home Office's decision to deny the pair's ETAs generated widespread backlash, with users accusing the government of cracking down on criticism of Israel Hasan Piker speaks onstage during Politicon 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California on 20 October 2018 (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Politicon/AFP) Off After American political commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker confirmed on Monday that the UK government had blocked their entry into the country, social media was flooded with reactions debating restrictions on free speech in Britain and accusing the government of clamping down on the right to express criticism of the Israeli government. The pair were due to attend the SXSW festival in London and had been scheduled to speak at the Oxford Union, a prestigious debating society, where Piker had previously delivered a speech criticising America’s support for Israel and arguing that the media played a key role in manufacturing consent for Israeli violations of international law. Middle East Eye reported that Piker was also due to meet the leader of the Green Party, Zack Polanski, and Jeremy Corbyn during his visit, which Piker confirmed in a YouTube video explaining that his Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) application had been denied. Uygur, creator of The Young Turks, took to X to confirm that he had been denied entry into Britain, suggesting that his criticism of Israel was the motivation behind the decision. “I’ve been banned for criticizing Israel,” he said, adding: “Are we free anymore?” Quoting his post, Piker suggested the same reasoning for the decision to block his entry to the country, saying it was “at the behest of israel”. The Home Office said in a statement released to the press that the ETAs had “been cancelled on the grounds that their presence in the UK may not be conducive to the public good”. It added that such decisions are “based solely on an assessment of the potential risk an individual may pose to UK society”. The Home Office did not specify which comments or actions made by the pair may have formed the basis for the decision. 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. https://t.co/UqQG1dogOI — hasanabi (@hasanthehun) May 31, 2026 Green Party leader Polanksi said it was a “grim decision” in a post on X. He added: “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.” Shabbos Kestenbaum, an American-Jewish political commentator, wrote that he was set to debate Uygur on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Monday. He criticised the move, saying: “This ban is completely unfounded and must be reversed. Free speech must always be protected and allowed. Shame on [Prime Minister] Keir Starmer.” I debated @cenkuygur several months ago. We were on opposite sides and, of course, disagree on many issues. But he's no extremist or threat to public order --- ridiculous to have to even type that --- and I hope the UK government reconsiders. — Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) June 1, 2026 Dimi Reider, co-founder of the Israeli magazine +972 and vocal critic of the Israeli government, wrote : “The Starmer government is creating the mechanisms, precedent and, worst of all, legitimacy for the authoritarian Reform government they keep warning us about. They're paving the way.” Other users pointed out that Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who has been accused by the UN of statements amounting to incitement to commit genocide, was not only permitted entry to the UK, but met personally with Starmer. Following the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel led by Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, Herzog said that all Palestinians in Gaza were “unequivocally” responsible for the attack, adding: “It is not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved.” Another user reacted on Instagram: “Imagine living in a time when speaking out against a genocide, war crimes, atrocity (and so much more) is frowned upon?” As Hasan Picker and Cenk Uygur are denied entry to the UK, it’s worth remembering that Isaac Herzog — accused of “direct and public incitement to commit genocide” by the UN Commission of Inquiry report — was welcomed by Keir Starmer on the steps of No10 in September. — Coll McCail (@MccailColl) June 1, 2026 Some social media users highlighted the UK government’s decision to block 11 far-right activists who were due to speak at a rally organised by anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who goes by the name Tommy Robinson, in May. In a thread on Reddit , one person also mentioned the decision to block American rapper Kanye West from entering the UK on the basis of his previous antisemitic comments, including a song titled “Heil Hitler”. However, others were quick to point out that those speakers were blocked due to targeted, racist hate speech on the basis of religious or ethnic minority, something of which Piker and Uygur do not stand accused. Refuting antisemitism accusations Both commentators have refuted accusations of antisemitism from supporters of Israel, rejecting the conflation between antisemitism and anti-Zionism. In a statement provided to MEE, Uygur said: “No one should equate the actions of the Israeli government with Jewish people at large. For example, I don't blame the British people for this decision, I blame the British government. If that statement were declared to be racist against Brits, that would be patently absurd”. “Banning me from the UK for criticizing the government of Israel is equally absurd. Israel often says they're our special ally because they help defend Western civilization, this is the exact opposite - tearing down our freedoms to protect their country and their crimes against humanity,” he added. Piker has also explicitly denounced antisemitism, saying during his previous appearance at the Oxford Union in 2025 that “Antisemitism is a canary in the coal mine of fascism”, and criticising the violent harm caused to Jewish people exacerbated by antisemitic propaganda throughout history. He said: “Valid criticisms against the state [of Israel] committing these atrocities and tying it back to Judaism is a cynical ploy to stop all manner of conversation”. Piers Morgan, British media personality and host of Piers Morgan Uncensored, underscored this point in a series of posts on X , saying: “I only support banning people who advocate violence or who spew hateful bigotry against people based on their ethnicity/religion. Where has Cenk done that? His rage has been against the Israel govt (sic) and its policies. Free speech should protect that”. She is a disgusting bigot who spews constant vile hatred against Muslims for being Muslim. Where has Cenk Uygur ever said anything hateful and bigoted against Jews for being Jewish? https://t.co/4TBnhNL9La — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 1, 2026 The SXSW festival said in a statement : “Decisions on entry to the U.K. 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”. The Oxford Union president, Arwa Elrayess, criticised the British government's decision, telling Middle East Eye: “We will not allow this event to be shut down.” “To this day, we defend freedom of speech; the right for our invited speakers to express themselves, and to be challenged, irrespective of political viewpoint,” she added, and confirmed that a virtual option is being explored to enable Uygur and Piker to participate in the scheduled debate. Middle East Eye also reached out to the Home Office and Piker for comment. UK Politics Trending Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:29 Update Date Override 0

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