A member of the College Democrats of America Jewish Caucus's leadership said she was "shocked on many fronts" When she learned that far-left streamer Hasan Piker would speak at the group's national convention in Washington, D.C. Over the weekend.
The newly elected caucus leader, who declined to be named, questioned the decision to invite Piker, saying she did not understand why the organization would platform a Twitch streamer rather than a politician or someone with Democratic Party ties, given the streamer's historical tensions with the party.
The caucus posted a statement on social media Tuesday characterizing Piker's appearance as "a direct threat to Jewish safety and inclusion." The statement cited what it described as his "longstanding history of antisemitic rhetoric," Including references to Orthodox Jews as "inbred," A description of a Jewish man as a "bloodthirsty pig dog," And characterization of Hamas's sexual violence on October 7 as "rape fantasies."
According to the caucus leader, Piker was announced as a surprise speaker. She said attendees did not know about his appearance until the first day of the conference. Piker spoke twice during the event - once on a panel with influencers and later in a separate speech.
The caucus leader said rumors circulated about attendees staging a walkout. She described an incident during the influencer panel in which the outgoing national leadership "decided it would be best to stand in front of the doors and tell attendees they could enter and not exit." When she asked why, she was told it was a security precaution done out of respect for guests. "At that point, I realized they were just trying to suppress the walkout," She said.
The caucus called on convention leaders to apologize for inviting Piker and newly elected leaders to condemn his rhetoric. It also requested commitment to dialogue with the caucus on future programming and called for an apology for "restricting members from exiting the room."
The caucus leader said she skipped Piker's panel appearance but attended the first five minutes of his later speech, when restrictions on exits were less strict. "I just did not feel comfortable in that space," She said. She left along with other Jewish caucus members and friends.
She characterized the issues as symptomatic of broader problems within the organization. "They have tried to silence caucuses in general, so I think that it is a systemic issue within the College Democrats," She told JNS, though she said she did not believe it represented the Democratic Party as a whole.
She expressed hope for change under new leadership, noting she received a message from a new board member interested in building a relationship going forward, though that person did not specifically denounce Piker's rhetoric.