Popular American streamer Hasan Piker, widely known online as HasanAbi, found himself at the center of a social media storm after being briefly questioned by Chinese security personnel during a live broadcast from Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Contrary to viral claims circulating across platforms, the streamer was never arrested or detained.
The Tiananmen Square Incident
During an early-morning Twitch stream capturing the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square, Hasan Piker and his companions attracted the attention of Chinese security officers. The situation escalated when a member of his group displayed a meme featuring Mao Zedong's face replaced with Hasan's. Security officials quickly noticed the image and approached the group for questioning.
The livestream temporarily went offline for several minutes while Hasan and his companions spoke with the officers away from the camera. When the broadcast resumed, Hasan confirmed that everything was resolved and continued filming the ceremony. He later explained to viewers that the security personnel were simply being cautious because foreign visitors rarely attend such national events in China.
How False Arrest Rumors Spread
The brief interruption sparked widespread misinformation across social media platforms. Activist Drew Pavlou initially shared clips from the stream on X, accusing Hasan of being harassed and mocking his previous support for China. The situation escalated when another account, @PamphletsY, jokingly claimed that Chinese police had detained the streamer.
Many users misinterpreted the joke as factual information, leading to numerous posts and memes falsely claiming Hasan had been arrested. Despite the viral nature of these claims, no trusted news sources confirmed any arrest, and both Sportskeeda and Primetimer reported that Hasan was only questioned and continued streaming afterward.
Controversial Comments and Reactions
During the same livestream, Hasan sparked additional debate when viewers saw him holding a Chinese flag while stating, "I don't have any kind of patriotism in my heart for America." Drew Pavlou reposted this clip, which garnered thousands of reactions and mixed responses from social media users.
Some critics mocked Hasan, suggesting he should "stay in China" if he appreciated it so much, while others defended his right to express honest feelings about his lack of American patriotism. Later, when chat participants suggested he was lucky to avoid arrest, Hasan dismissed the idea as "ridiculous" and explained that Chinese security was simply doing their job in light of widespread anti-China propaganda.
The entire incident highlights how quickly misinformation can spread on social media platforms, transforming a brief security questioning into false claims of arrest. Hasan Piker maintained his streaming schedule throughout the controversy and repeatedly confirmed that he faced no serious consequences from the encounter with Chinese security personnel.
