The UK government has revoked travel authorization for pro-Palestinian figures Hassan Pikar and Cenk Uygur, barring them from entering the country ahead of scheduled speaking engagements in London.The pair were due to attend the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in London this week and speak at the Oxford Union.In a statement to CNN, the Home Office confirmed it had canceled the men’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which allows eligible foreign nationals to visit the UK without a visa for short stays.The department said the decision was taken because their presence in the UK “may not be conducive to the public good”.“Such decisions are based solely on an assessment of the potential risk an individual poses to UK society,” the Home Office said. He said both men were free to apply for visas if they wanted to travel to Britain.Picker, a popular online streamer known for political commentary, said on social media that the British government has revoked his permission to enter the country.Picker told CNN that he criticized the decision, arguing that free speech and due process were being undermined.Uygur, the founder of the online news and commentary program The Young Turks, said he learned of the ban while attempting to fly to London.“I have been banned for criticizing Israel,” Uygur wrote on X (formerly Twitter), claiming the move is a suppression of political views.The decision has been criticized by free speech advocates, who argue that the action reflects increasing restrictions on voices critical of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.It has also attracted political criticism. Zac Polanski, leader of the Green Party in England and Wales, described the restrictions as “serious” and said they were “another clear warning” about the direction of the country, The Guardian reports.Pikar has a large online audience across platforms including Twitch, X and Instagram, while Uygur is a prominent progressive political commentator in the United States and previously sought the Democratic Party nomination in the 2024 US presidential election.