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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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Hasan Piker has been suspended from streaming platform Twitch after making comments linking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) action to anti-Israeli sentiment.
Piker, a progressive streamer said on X that he had been banned from the platform "for a couple of days." He made posts, and shared other posts, which said he had been banned over a section of a recent broadcast in which he said immigration action in the U.S. was targeted against "anti-Israel protesters." He also swore and used language comparing Zionists to animals.
It is not clear why he was banned and how long his ban will be in place.
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Newsweek reached out to Twitch and Piker by email to comment on this story.
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Why It Matters
President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement policy has drawn sharp criticism from the left. The administration has sought to target those it deems to be linked to pro-Hamas activities in order to root out antisemitism in the U.S. but some have said these actions have gone too far and infringed upon First Amendment free speech rights.
Meanwhile, political polarization online has increased in the last few years, sparking conversations about the balance between free speech and offensive discourse.
What To Know
In a Twitch stream, Piker viewed footage purporting to show an altercation between ICE officers and Alex Pretti.
Pretti, an intensive care nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot dead by a federal immigration agent in Minnesota on Saturday during an enforcement operation. His killing was the second fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer in the city this month, following the January 7 death of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot by an ICE agent during another enforcement action. Pretti's death has led to backlash over the conduct of ICE officers and has sparked protests.
Piker referenced reporting that claimed ICE track pro-Palestinian and anti-ICE protesters. The DHS has previously denied this reporting.
Piker then slammed pro-Israel supporters and swore and used sexual language He also used the phrase "Zionist pigs" and said immigration action in the U.S. was targeted against "anti-Israel protesters."
Piker's Twitch page redirects to a notice which says: "This channel is temporarily unavailable due to a violation of Twitch's Community Guidelines or Terms of Service." It is not clear what guidelines Piker violated.
Twitch's terms of service say users must not "create, upload, transmit, distribute, or store any content that is inaccurate, unlawful, infringing, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, harassing, threatening, abusive, inflammatory, or otherwise objectionable." It also has provisions against "hateful content."
A November 2024 memo from Twitch said: "Using the term "Zionist" to attack or demean another individual or group of people on the basis of their background or religious belief is against our rules. We recognize that "Zionist" and "Zionism" also refer to a political movement. Using the term to refer to the political movement, whether in a supportive or critical way, does not violate our Hateful Conduct policy. Our goal isn’t to stifle conversation about or criticism of an institution or ideology, but to prevent coded hate directed at individuals and groups of people."
Writing on X, Piker said he had been "banned for criticizing Israel."
What People Are Saying
Twitch's community guidelines say: "Twitch does not permit behavior that is motivated by hatred, prejudice or intolerance, including behavior that promotes or encourages discrimination, denigration, harassment, or violence based on the following protected characteristics: race, ethnicity, color, caste, national origin, immigration status, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, serious medical condition, and veteran status
What Happens Next
Piker said on X that he will be livestreaming from YouTube while his Twitch ban is in place.
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