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

  • makingrain
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    20
    ·
    4 days ago

    What suppression of pro-paleatine protests? Are they banned? Didn’t think so.

    • Footer1998@crazypeople.onlineOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      15
      ·
      4 days ago

      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?

      • makingrain
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        20
        ·
        4 days ago

        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.

        • Footer1998@crazypeople.onlineOP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          16
          ·
          4 days ago

          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

          • makingrain
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            14
            ·
            4 days ago

            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.