'Cheerleading for terrorism': Twitch star called for new 9/11, dismissed horror of Oct 7

FIRST ON FOX: A fashionable Amazon-owned video level geared toward teenagers and young adults is filled with extremist content, including 1 of its biggest stars praising violent groups and adjacent blithely calling for another 9/11 to his 2.8 cardinal beardown audience, according to a Fox News Digital review.

Hasan Piker, who has millions of followers connected Twitch, has broadcast propaganda from Yemen's Houthis, framed convulsive violent acts arsenic "resistance," expressed sympathy for extremist groups who people civilians and downplayed the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks against Jews successful Israel. Piker's shocking diatribes are among the astir fashionable connected the video game-streaming platform, which allows viewers to perceive to their favourite personalities opine connected topics ranging from popular civilization to existent events portion playing video games.

"It doesn't substance if f---ing rapes happened connected October 7," Piker said successful a May 22 stream. "It doesn't alteration the dynamic [of Palestinians and Israelis] for me."

Piker, a 33-year-old Turkish American commentator who lives successful California and grew up successful Istanbul, is simply a erstwhile shaper for the far-left net commentary program, "The Young Turks," and is the nephew of its co-creator, Cenk Ugyer. His Twitch streams regularly deed implicit a cardinal views and often person arsenic galore arsenic 30,000 viewers astatine a fixed time.

UNC BRACES AS ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP DUBBED 'VOICE FOR HAMAS' CONDONES 'ARMED REBELLION': 'BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY'

Twitch prima Hasan Piker, right, appears to condone attacks by the Houthis, successful summation to different violent groups, connected the streaming platform. (Getty Images)

The governmental commentator has a cult leader-like presumption among his fans and maintains a Discord server with 125,000 dedicated followers. Many are astir surely precise young, arsenic the minimum property to articulation Twitch and Discord is 13. A 2022 Pew survey recovered that 22% of teenage boys utilized Twitch, and a 2020 Statista study revealed 34% of Twitch users were betwixt the ages of 10 and 19.

In summation to his monolithic pursuing connected Twitch, Piker has millions much followers connected Instagram and X. On YouTube, helium regularly posts his Twitch streams to his 1.45 cardinal subscribers.

In a caller stream, Piker broadcast propaganda from the Houthis, an Iranian-backed radical successful Yemen that has been designated by the U.S. arsenic a violent group. Instead of explicitly addressing the materials arsenic questionable propaganda, the streamer alternatively expressed sympathy and admiration for the group.

In the stream, which was posted connected Sept. 28, Piker showed chap Twitch streamer Nick Polom a Houthi "musical" released by the militant group, and said that it was "an enactment of resistance."

ISRAELI OFFICIAL PRAISES STEFANIK AS UN PICK, SAYS HER 'MORAL CLARITY' WILL COMBAT BODY'S 'HATE AND LIES'

Hasan Piker showed chap streamer Nick Polom a Houthi "musical" and called it "an enactment of resistance." (@HasanAbi via Twitch)

"They bash musicals about, like, their f---ing actions each the time," Piker said of the violent propaganda. "They emotion walking implicit similar the American emblem and the Israeli flag, broadside by side."

"They bash not attraction astir the dense missiles… they volition virtually instrumentality the warfare to them nary substance what… For them, it's an enactment of resistance. You cognize what I mean?" helium added.

During the aforesaid stream, Piker broadcast propaganda video of equipped Houthi terrorists seizing a cargo vessel and expressed admiration for the group.

"They're flexing," Piker said. "You person to understand, this is simply a deterrent. Their extremity is to movie it and amusement it to the world."

In 1 of his streams, Hasan Piker broadcast propaganda made by Houthi terrorists. The video showed fighters seizing a ship. (@HasanAbi via Twitch)

Polom did not respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for remark astir the exchanges with Piker.

Piker often and passionately defends the "anti-imperialist" motivations of Middle Eastern violent groups. During a watercourse uploaded to YouTube connected Oct. 13, 2023, Piker berated a spectator who challenged his presumption connected the then-nascent Israel-Hamas war.

"You privation each azygous Palestinian to beryllium f---ing executed ruthlessly connected the streets truthful that you tin physique different f---ing taxable parkland connected Gaza. You f---ing baying pig, you f---ing bloodthirsty, convulsive pig dog," Piker argued. "Suck my d---."

TIM WALZ AND AOC PLAY MADDEN ON TWITCH IN ATTEMPT TO APPEAL TO YOUNG MALE VOTERS

Though Piker says helium is not aligned with Hamas and called the Oct. 7 attacks "one of the astir unjustifiable and unimaginable and ongoing acts of cruelty" soon aft they began, his rhetoric has go much utmost since the Israel-Hamas warfare began, and helium routinely defends convulsive Palestinian actors from immoderate criticism.

"I don't consciousness comfy placing the blasted of a convulsive settler colony that has killed and displaced tens of millions of Palestinians [on Palestine]… I don't consciousness similar it's due to laic the blasted successful the hands of anyone that is resisting against their ain brutal occupation," Piker said successful an Oct. 19 YouTube video astir the decease of Hamas person Yahya Sinwar.

During an April 18 stream, Piker expressed that Hamas was the "lesser evil" adjacent to the Israeli military.

Hasan Piker, 1 of the astir fashionable users connected Twitch, regularly posts extremist contented connected the streaming site. (Getty Images)

"Hamas unironically is the lesser evil of the two," the streamer said. "If you look astatine the civilian casualties, if you look astatine the civilian deaths versus the deaths of soldiers, Hamas's percentages are infinitely amended than Israel. That's conscionable facts. So no, Hamas is the lesser evil."

Later, Piker implied that Hamas fighters had nary work for the wide killings and rapes carried retired connected Oct. 7.

"You agree… Oct. 7, and the work of Oct. 7 and each the actions that took spot are straight successful the hands of the Israeli state," Piker said to a chatter. "I’m glad." 

During the aforesaid stream, Piker joked that "9/11 2" would beryllium "so sick" portion discussing the U.S. making a civilian atomic statement with Saudi Arabia.

HAMAS 'GREEN PRINCE' SHOCKED BY COLLEGE CAMPUS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS: 'THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND'

"Oh my god, 9/11 2 is going to beryllium truthful sick," the streamer said. "Give Saudi Arabia a nuke truthful they tin bash 9/11 2."

Hezbollah, a radical that the U.S. State Department blames for the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings that killed 241 American personnel, is besides discussed successful Piker’s videos – wherever the commentator downplays the organization’s presumption arsenic a violent organization.

"If Hezbollah is simply a violent organization, [then] America is the apical violent organization," Piker said during a Sept. 17 stream. "Which it is, by the way. America is the apical canine successful coercion and truthful is Israel."

Hasan Piker, halfway right, a left-wing prima connected Twitch, got his commencement connected "The Young Turks" with his uncle Cenk Uyger, right. (Getty Images)

During a watercourse that Polom posted connected Sept. 28, Piker admitted that helium did not "have an issue" with Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers a violent organization.

"Hezbollah is simply a paramilitary enactment that is besides a portion of the Lebanese parliament," Piker explained.

"Do we similar them oregon no?" Polom asked.

"I deliberation it's a absorption group," Piker replied. "They're beauteous palmy against Israel. But everybody hates them, everybody successful the region…I don't person an contented with them."

In January, Piker platformed a teenaged Houthi sympathizer helium likened to acclaimed histrion Timothée Chalamet owed to his appearance. The watercourse was uploaded to YouTube nether the sanction "INTERVIEWING YEMENI TIMOTHEE CHALAMET."

Piker jokingly called the Yemeni impermanent "Tim-Houthi" arsenic a play connected the sanction Timothée. The watercourse was unrelated to the actor, and the Twitch big made nary claims that Chalamet supported immoderate of the positions discussed successful the video.

THE MOST EXTREME ANTI-ISRAEL, HAMAS-SYMPATHIZING MOMENTS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES SINCE THE OCT. 7 ATTACKS

Hasan Piker interviewed Rashid Al Haddad, a Houthi sympathizer who helium likened to Timothée Chalamet due to the fact that of his looks, successful January. (@HasanAbi via YouTube)

The interrogation subject, Rashid Al Haddad, denies being a Houthi fighter but has gained notoriety for hopping connected a vessel captured by Houthis and posing arsenic 1 of the militants. Al Haddad has been banned from some TikTok and X for appearing to enactment the Houthis.

At 1 constituent successful the interview, Piker asked Al Haddad done an Arabic translator if helium watched an anime called "One Piece," which his young assemblage would subordinate to. When the militant responded successful the affirmative, Piker praised him.

"No way, sick. Yes, yes," Piker said. "That's fire. That's truthful fire."

"We deliberation the Houthis, ansarullah, is [sic] doing what Luffy would do," Piker said. Luffy is the protagonist of the anime, and ansarullah translates to "Supporters of God," which is what Houthis notation to themselves as.

Later during the exchange, the translator ominously said that Al Haddad "likes adventures" and is simply a large protagonist of a Palestinian authorities and that "he's looking to bigger and much breathtaking things."

"What does helium person to accidental to the dumbasses that see him to beryllium a terrorist?" Piker asked. "What does helium deliberation astir that? I conscionable banned 1 of those anserine f---s successful the chat conscionable now."

"He says, ‘Who are they?’," the translator replied. "He's like, dismissing them," to which Piker responded, "Respect."

'WOKE' POLITICAL, COLLEGE LEADERS SET STAGE FOR PRO-HAMAS DC PROTEST: LAWMAKER

Twitch CEO Dan Clancy, left, erstwhile said that helium was a instrumentality of Hasan Piker.  (Getty Images)

Piker was temporarily banned from Twitch 3 times betwixt 2019 and 2022, including erstwhile for utilizing the word "cracker." His archetypal prohibition occurred aft helium claimed that "America deserved 9/11" during a stream.

Twitch has not publically addressed Piker’s comments, but successful a 2023 interrogation with Bloomberg News, Twitch's CEO Dan Clancy acknowledged being a instrumentality of the streamer.

"I similar the frankness and bluntness," Clancy said. "He’s comfy saying what helium believes."

In 2020, Twitch banned erstwhile President Donald Trump, citing hateful content. Additionally, the platform's assemblage guidelines authorities that Twitch "does not let contented that depicts, glorifies, encourages, oregon supports terrorism, oregon convulsive extremist actors oregon acts."

In a connection to Fox News Digital, Piker said that helium has a "strong, affirmative relationship," with Twitch and disputes the thought that his streams interruption the presumption of service.

STANFORD CALLED OUT OVER MAN IN HAMAS HEADBAND 'TERRORIZING' JEWISH STUDENTS

"The assortment of abbreviated out-of-context clips from 8-hour heavy dives into analyzable geopolitical issues are deliberately chopped to subordinate maine with a position that I bash not hold," Piker said. "In my experience, Twitch’s fantastic Trust and Safety squad upholds a rigorous moderation modular to combat hatred code and marque it wide that hatred has nary spot connected the platform."

"It’s unfortunate that immoderate are twisting my contented to acceptable a communicative that doesn’t align with my values oregon the enactment I’ve done implicit the years," his connection added. Piker besides said that Twitch had fixed him a informing astir 1 of his Houthi videos.

"By mode of example, the ‘Houthi video,’ which captures Yemeni radical showing resilience amid a humanitarian crisis, is viewable connected astir societal media platforms but Twitch," the commentator said. "After receiving a informing astir this contented from Twitch moderation, I person not since shared it."

Twitch is besides known to person different problematic users. One of Piker's associates, a streamer known arsenic Frogan, precocious mocked U.S. veterans implicit a Twitch watercourse connected Oct. 13.

"The U.S. subject [service members] that are like, yeah, like, 'You know, I did this backmost then, but present I cognize it's wrong'...you don't merit the PTSD," the streamer, who posts contented astir being a Muslim woman, said. "But similar immoderate different motherf---er.... f--- you. I anticipation you get PTSD."

Frogan aboriginal admitted connected X that her remarks were "worded poorly," and said that her comments were made "out of vexation arsenic they are presently bombing my household successful the sanction of ‘liberation.’" She was fixed a 30-day prohibition for the comments.

Kris Ruby, a societal media adept and the laminitis of Ruby Media Group, told Fox News Digital that some Frogan and Piker's statements are problematic.

"If you're talking astir violent organizations, past that's not protected code [under presumption of service]," Ruby said. "I deliberation a batch of this falls nether convulsive rhetoric."

TRUMP'S PROJECTED VICTORY DOESN'T GO OVER WELL WITH LIBERAL MEDIA: 'I'M GONNA THROW UP'

Hasan Piker told Fox News Digital that helium stopped sharing 1 of his videos of Houthis astatine the petition of Twitch. (Getty Images)

Ruby besides cautioned astir the power that Twitch could person connected young viewers, particularly viewers who are attached to definite streamers. She precocious witnessed the powerfulness of the level aft a Twitch streamer entered an X Space she was in, bringing successful hundreds of fans.

"The streamer had millions of followers. That level of affinity for the personage was greater than astir immoderate different societal media level I person seen," she described.  "Why bash radical consciousness they person specified a adjacent narration with unrecorded streamers successful a mode that is adjacent much adjacent than different platforms?"

"Anything with algorithmic gamification and video games are addictive to our youth," Ruby said of Twitch. "Video games are 1 of the fig 1 ways that you tin get to the hearts and minds of our youth." 

Kara Frederick, manager of the Tech Policy Center astatine the Heritage Foundation, echoed Ruby's concerns astir convulsive rhetoric connected the platform.

"[Hasan] perfectly is promoting violent propaganda," Frederick said. "You person to enactment it successful the discourse of the Houthis, who he's sympathizing with… they are actively attacking U.S. ships successful the Red Sea…. At that point, you go a violent sympathizer. So it's not educational, it is cheerleading for coercion against the United States."

Twitch made caller headlines aft users successful Israel were disabled from signing up starting connected Oct. 19, but the institution apologized and remedied the mistake connected Oct. 21. Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., has go a vocal professional of the level and sent a missive to Clancy connected Oct. 29 calling to "stop popularizing those who popularize antisemitism."

Kara Frederick told Fox News Digital that Hasan Piker’s contented is not educational, and is alternatively "cheerleading for terrorism." (Getty Images)

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached retired to Amazon, Twitch and Frogan for further comment.