Diana DeGette

Hasan Piker landed in Denver this weekend with big plans to shake up the primary season. The Socialist Twitch streamer was scheduled to rally in support of local progressive candidates Melat Kiros and state Sen. Julie Gonzales, who are challenging some of Colorado’s most powerful incumbents, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette and U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper.

But seven days before the rally, the venue canceled. Then the replacement venue canceled. Then the replacement-replacement venue canceled.

By Sunday, June 14, the event was relegated to a haphazard protest on the lawn of the State Capitol.

Piker didn’t show up. Gonzales pulled out, as well, citing safety concerns. “I can’t in good conscience say that there was time to pivot this event and ensure the safety of participants and attendees,” she wrote on social media. Kiros remained, speaking to the crowd of hundreds along with Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson and Michigan State Rep. Donavan McKinney.

Now, Kiros is calling conspiracy, blaming DeGette for the venue troubles. DeGette denies the accusation, saying she would never stop Kiros from campaigning with a controversial personality like Piker.

“Diana DeGette just called up her donor class to silence us,” Kiros said in a video on June 14, calling the congresswoman “so goddamn scared.”

“I can’t believe I have to say this,” DeGette responds, “but it’s an absolute lie that I or my campaign had anything to do with her venue cancellations. … My opponent has lied about me since she launched her campaign.”

On June 7, ReelWorks canceled the event, claiming that unexpected HVAC issues had arisen, according to emails reviewed by Westword. The ReelWorks spokesperson said repairs would take place between June 10 and June 17, making it impossible to host the rally on June 14. Notably, the venue hosted a Kink Pride event on June 12, based on social media posts. ReelWorks did not respond to a request for comment.

Rally organizers pivoted to holding the event at the Ogden Theatre. On June 12, the Ogden canceled, as well, due to “significant pressure and concern from the local community who have reached out to our leadership,” according to emails reviewed by Westword. The Ogden did not respond to a request for comment.

Next, the rally was booked at Stanley Marketplace, according to Kiros’ campaign team. On the morning of the event, organizers say they were denied access to the venue and told the building’s ownership had decided to cancel because of safety concerns. Stanley Marketplace did not respond to a request for comment.

Kiros believes DeGette is behind the string of cancellations.

“We know Diana signaled to her corporate donors through her redbox to come in and save her after she took voters for granted and did nothing to talk directly to them about why she deserves another term,” Kiros says. “Those are the same donors that own all these venues.”

Asked for specifics on how DeGette allegedly intervened, Kiros’ team directed Westword to a page on DeGette’s website, noting that it was updated on June 12, two days before the rally. The page lists criticisms of Kiros, in part calling her an “extremist” and referencing “antisemitism,” though it makes no reference to the rally or her affiliation with Piker.

DeGette denies that she or anyone on her team was involved with the venues canceling Kiros’ rally.

“She’s free to make her own mistakes, and campaigning with an infamous anti-semite who says he ‘hates this country’ and thinks we ‘deserved 9/11’ is a big one,” DeGette says. “The worst part is that Melat Kiros thinks voters are gullible enough to just believe whatever she says. Denver is smarter than that, and we won’t be fooled.”

DeGette advertised Kiros’ connection to Piker via a Facebook post the morning of the rally, hours before Stanley Marketplace reportedly canceled. The video highlighted the streamer’s many controversies, reading, “Who is Melat Kiros? Someone who welcomes the support of Hasan Piker.”

However, Piker has also attracted criticism, including for saying “America deserved 9/11” after years of U.S. military action in the Middle East, and for his outspoken condemnations of Israel, which Jewish organizations have argued venture into antisemitic rhetoric. Piker’s comments reportedly resulted in him being barred from visiting the United Kingdom earlier this month. Following an interview between Kiros and Piker in May, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Colorado sent an open letter to Kiros, opposing the collaboration.

In explaining the Stanley Marketplace cancellation, a member of Kiros’ campaign team alleged the venue owner referred to the event as a “neo-Nazi rally,” suggesting that the opposition stemmed from these controversies.

“This is literally because of, this is Israel-related,” Piker said in a video of the interaction posted on X, connecting the Denver cancellations with his ban from the UK.

“Yeah, no, 100%,” Kiros’ campaign advisor, Deep Singh Badhesha, responded. “I think you’re right. The number-one thing that they were reacting to was that you are proudly vocal about free Palestine. That was the thing.”