Leftwing US pair refused entry to UK will address Oxford Union remotely

Two leftwing US political commentators who were banned from entering the UK will still speak at the Oxford Union via livestream.

The Home Office told Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker their presence in the country was “not conducive to the public good” when they attempted to come to London to attend this week’s SXSW London event.

The government has not commented on the specific reasons for the ban but Uygur, the host of the Young Turks podcast, has been accused of propagating antisemitic tropes in his criticism of Israel. He has insisted his criticisms are confined to analysis of Israeli influence over US policymaking.

Piker, a leftwing streamer, has faced a backlash over some of his comments, including reportedly saying on a 2019 stream that “America deserved 9/11”, a comment he later apologised for and said was “inappropriate”.

Hasan Piker has said he is not antisemitic but anti-Israel. Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

Piker has stood by his characterisation of Hamas as “1,000 times better” than Israel and his claim that he “would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time”, made in an episode of Pod Save America, the podcast hosted by former staffers for Barack Obama. Piker has said he is not antisemitic but anti-Israel.

As well as the SXSW invitation, they were also due to speak this Saturday at the Oxford Union, the world’s most prestigious debating society. The Oxford Union president, Arwa Elrayess, said: “The Oxford Union intended to host Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker on 6 June for a discussion and head-to-head event with our members. We are deeply concerned by the revocation of both speakers’ electronic travel authorisations on the basis that their appearances would not be ‘conducive to public good’.”

She added: “The Oxford Union was founded on one principle: that ideas are challenged through debate, not silenced by decree. We have never turned a speaker away because of their political beliefs nor have we sought a permission slip from the state. We will not start now. This event will not be cancelled. The union will ensure this discussion takes place. Free speech does not require a visa. We will update our members shortly.”