Hasan Piker to Speak at UT Austin Wednesday After Scramble for Space

The University Democrats at UT Austin are hosting Hasan Piker, the self-described socialist Twitch streamer, on Wednesday. Organizers said they registered more than 3,000 people who said they would attend, which forced them to search for a bigger venue for weeks.

Finding Room

The speaking venue is the William C. Powers, Jr. Student Activity Center, which holds around 460 people. That is not enough for 3,000 RSVPs, and the scramble to find room has been going on for weeks. Adit Raha, president of the University Democrats, said UT did not accommodate requests to host Piker at a larger on-campus space like the Union Ballroom or Gregory Gym.

“We wanted a more secure venue than the one we were given, or that we got,” he said. “At each kind of attempt, we were hit with a mysterious and sometimes questionable roadblock.”

Security Costs

UTPD charged the University Democrats $20,000 for providing event security. Raha criticized the police department for that fee. UT and UTPD did not respond to requests for comment.

Abbott and Hillel Respond

State lawmakers, including Gov. Greg Abbott, have condemned the look, with Abbott saying the student group was giving a platform to Piker’s “disgusting rhetoric.” Ahead of the event, Jewish group Texas Hillel said Piker’s harsh criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza, which he called antisemitic.

Texas Hillel’s executive director Rabbi Stephanie Max weighed in on Piker’s views, saying “go against our values as Americans and Jews, and his hateful, antisemitic rhetoric is repulsive.”.

Protest Plans

The Daily Texan reports that right-leaning student groups are organizing protests against the event. Piker told the Austin American-Statesman that he considers his views on Israel to be “very close to many in the student body”, and that any pushback against his appearance has been “disappointing but not unexpected.”.

Shapiro’s Larger Venue

Raha criticized the university for, as he sees it, obstructing Piker’s appearance while welcoming far-right influencer Ben Shapiro at a larger venue next week. Raha said the disparity is an extension of UT’s crackdown on large-scale pro-Palestinian demonstrations in 2024.

“Free speech is dead in Texas.”

What UT Has Not Said

The university has yet to answer questions seeking comment from it. What lies behind its choices is still a mystery.

Here is what the situation amounts to:

1. More than 3,000 RSVPs for a center that holds around 460 people.
2. Requests to move to the Union Ballroom or Gregory Gym were denied.
3. UTPD charged the University Democrats $20,000 for security.
4. Gov. Abbott called Piker’s appearance a platform for “disgusting rhetoric.”
5. Texas Hillel called Piker’s views on Israel’s war in Gaza antisemitic.
6. Right-leaning groups plan to protest.
7. Ben Shapiro gets a larger venue next week.

Raha’s central grievance concerns equal treatment for speakers at UT. She argues that Shapiro receives a larger venue than Piker does. The principle of fair treatment applies to everyone who speaks.

The competition for room, the safety fee, and UT’s unaddressed queries all suggest a shared aim. UT seems intent on tightening the conditions under which Piker can gather on campus even as it eases them for Shapiro.

Either the university must hold Piker’s event at a bigger space, or it must give a reason for not doing so.

Where the paper stands

The paper backs free speech and the right of the University Democrats to host Hasan Piker on campus, and is against any university official or policy that prevents students from gathering together to hear ideas they support. The scramble for a bigger venue, the security charge, and the comparison to Shapiro’s event all point to a pattern worth watching.

What is clear is that the University Democrats have been trying for weeks to find a larger room on campus. Their requests for the Union Ballroom and Gregory Gym were denied. That alone does not prove anything about how UT treats speakers, but it raises a question about whether the rules apply equally in both directions.

The $20,000 security charge adds another layer. Whether it was justified or not, the fact that it was charged against the student group at all is worth noting. It adds to the cost of holding an event, and it adds to the complaint that UT is making it harder to gather on campus.

Source material: “Hasan Piker to speak at UT Austin Wednesday,” Houston Public Media.

Ben Shapiro · free speech · Hasan Piker · Texas politics · UT Austin