Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur and his nephew, antisemitic left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, have been banned from the UK over their anti-Israel rhetoric, the two said in posts to X/Twitter on Monday morning.
Both individuals were expected to participate in the upcoming South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in London, the European offshoot of the Texan festival by the same name, featuring music, film, tech, and culture.
The British Home Office justified the move by declaring Uyger a “serious risk to the public order” following his claim that “Israel controls the American government through donations to 94% of Congress,” according to an X post made by the Young Turks founder.
“Are we free anymore?” Uyger asked in a second X post. “This is oppression of Western citizens by our own governments on behalf of a different country!”
In a third X thread, Uyger wrote that it is an “honor to have made Israel's enemies list. I'm very proud to have fought against their genocide.”
“The mighty United Kingdom is afraid of speech that shows you who's responsible for those war crimes. But no amount of censorship will get us to stop telling the truth.”
Piker, contrast to his uncle, wrote a single X post on the matter, explaining that the UK had revoked his visa at “the behest of Israel.”
“The West is betraying 'liberal values' for a genocidal fascist foreign government,” Piker said. “Soon we will all become Israel.
US Treasury Department reportedly subpoenas Piker
Last week, Fox News reported the US Treasury Department subpoenaed Piker, as well as CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin, as part of an investigation into whether or not a group of activists violated US sanctions during a visit to Cuba.
According to Fox, the investigation includes some 40 US citizens who worked with foreign nationals, including Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, who himself had recently been detained by Israel following his sojourn on the Gaza-bound flotilla.
Additional subpoenas are reportedly expected.
