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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Sarah Borus

Members of the U.S. Secret Service patrol outside at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3

Policing

Security Theater Looks The Same Every Time

Samer Kalaf

Journalismism

The New York Times Had To Work With A Eugenicist So They Didn’t Get Scooped By A Bigot

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Tom Scocca is the editor of <a href="http://indignity.net">Indignity</a>, a subscription-supported newsletter of news, essays, and commentary.</div>
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Tom Scocca

New York City police arrested dozens of Pro-Palestinian protesters on Columbia University on Wednesday evening after they took over part of a central library in New York, USA on May 7, 2025.

Margin Of Error

Teachable Moment

Tom Ley

A person holds a sign calling for the release of Mahmoud Khalil as pro-Palestine demonstrators rally for Gaza in Times Square on March 18, 2025 in New York City. Israeli forces carried out renewed airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, killing over 400 people, according to Gaza officials. The attacks broke a temporary ceasefire with Hamas, heightening fears of a return to full-scale conflict.

Politics

Read Mahmoud Khalil’s Letter From An ICE Detention Facility

A protestor with a sign that reads "Release Mahmoud Khalil."

Mahmoud Khalil Is The Target Of A Desperate Agenda

<p>Heather Chen is a former Defector intern and the managing editor at the <em>Columbia Daily Spectator</em>. She loves hockey, photography, and the good ol’ state of Michigan.</p>


Heather Wei-Xi Chen

A photo of the west side of the South Lawn in front of Columbia University's Butler Library at the Morningside campus. This picture, taken right before sunset, depicts an encampment set up by protestors on a lawn with turf and a big event tent. Students are scattered throughout, and there are multiple banners and signs depicting pro-Palestine statements.

Why Did I Sleep On The Turf?

Alex Sujong Laughlin

South African singer and songwriter Tyla arrives for the 2024 Met Gala in a Balmain gown meant to evoke sand in an hourglass. She is being helped by a procession of men in tuxedos who are holding the train of her gown in order for her to walk.

Arts And Culture

How Do You Compartmentalize The Spectacle?

An NYPD officer in riot gear looms over a student protestor on the ground and appears to be gripping her arm.

Going Off Script

NYPD officers in riot gear enter Columbia University's encampment

The Outside Agitators On Campus Were The Police

David Roth

A group of Columbia University students, advocating for Palestinians, access the iconic Hamilton Hall building as they gather to stage a demonstration at the campus in New York, United States on April 30, 2024. Protests are sweeping college campuses across the US following a police attempt to clear a pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University, resulting in the arrest of over 100 students. Columbia University asked students on Monday to 'voluntarily disperse' amid stalled talks, threatening the students with suspension.

They Are Insecure For A Reason

The Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Columbia University.