US political commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker say they had been barred from entering the United Kingdom and British authorities cited their public comments about Israel as the reason for the decision.
Uygur, cofounder of The Young Turks, a United States-based online political news and commentary network, said he learned of the restriction while trying to board a flight to London, where he was scheduled to attend the SXSW London festival and deliver a speech at Oxford University.
Cenk Uyghur wrote, on Twitter:
I’ve been banned from the UK. I tried to get on a flight to London to attend SXSW London and give a speech at Oxford. I’ve been banned for criticizing Israel. Are we free anymore? This is oppression of Western citizens by our own governments on behalf of a different country!
Hasan Piker wrote, on Twitter:
i’ve been fighting the far right for a decade plus. i never would’ve imagined a labor govt would ban me from entering the uk. dark times ahead for the west. liberalism is dead, maga fascism and it’s corrosive influence is felt everywhere.
Several UK politicians and commentators have spoken out against the ban
the proscription of pro-palestine protest groups as “terrorist groups” despite the high court ruling that the proscription was unlawful is just one of several examples of pro-palestine protests being suppressed
do you accept that israel is conducting a genocide in gaza?
One. A group that has targeted UK military and infra. Guess what? That meets the broad definition of terrorism.
I couldn’t care any less about Israel or Palestine. That’s your hill.
not according to the high court. cool to hear you don’t care about genocide though. i thought it was the bare minimum for humanity but i guess there are lower forms of life possible
If the high court are questioning it… Maybe you have more free speech than you were crying about in your root post.
They won’t be de-proscribed though, for good reason.
oh so you DO care about israel after all? what a surprise, you’re a zionist and you lied, what an absolutely unprecedented turn of events. get blocked, feel free to cope in my replies, i don’t talk to genocide deniers.
You’re arguing with a zionist hack. Don’t waste your time on bad faith actors.
i knew as soon as i saw the first reply, i just wanted to expose their nazi ideology to anyone who isn’t as locked in to this issue as anti-zionists are
Back to your little echo chamber you go.
That’s insulting.
Yes. They were insulting you. Good job.
OK zio.
It is morally correct to bash your local Ziopig’s head in.
Better watch out.
Collaborator