U.K. blocks visits by left-wing commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker

U.S. newsU.K. blocks visits by left-wing commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan PikerBritain’s interior ministry said travel authorization for “these individuals” had been canceled as “their presence in the U.K. may not be conducive to the public good.”Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Hasan Piker at Web Summit Vancouver on May 13.Florencia Tan Jun / Sportsfile via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 1, 2026, 8:03 AM EDT / Updated June 1, 2026, 10:25 AM EDTBy Carolin Sri-Narayana and Daniel ArkinThe progressive political commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker said Monday they had been barred from entering the United Kingdom to speak at events.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Uygur, who co-hosts the YouTube series “The Young Turks,” and his nephew Piker, who broadcasts his commentary on the video platform Twitch, said on social media they had been blocked because of their views about Israel.In a statement, the British interior ministry said travel authorization for “these individuals” had been canceled as “their presence in the U.K. may not be conducive to the public good.” The statement did not mention Israel.The decision to “refuse or cancel” a person’s electronic travel authorization “on these grounds are based solely on an assessment of the potential risk an individual may pose to UK society,” the ministry added.Uygur and Piker had been listed to speak at the London edition of the South by Southwest festival later this week and at the University of Oxford over the weekend.“I’ve been banned for criticizing Israel. Are we free anymore?” Uygur said in a post on X after saying he had attempted to board a flight.Cenk Uygur at Web Summit Vancouver on May 13.Vaughn Ridley / Sportsfile via Getty Images“The UK has revoked my visa as well,” Piker said in a post on X. “All at the behest of Israel.”The Israeli government did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Uy...