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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

Dave McKenna

Supporters watch on from the Cusack Stand during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship final match between Kerry and Donegal at Croke Park in Dublin.

Gaelic Football

Gaelic Football Season Opens With Contested Gaza Protest Scoop

Dan Schindel

Interviews

Filmmaker Ian Bell On ‘WTO/99’ And The Legacy Of The Battle In Seattle

Patrick Redford

Alexey Lutsenko of Kazakhstan and Team Israel - Premier Tech (C) with teammates prior to the 112th Tour de France 2025, Stage 1 a 184.9km stage from Lille to Lille / #UCIWT / on July 05, 2025 in Lille, France.

Cycling

The Israel–Premier Tech Cycling Team Is No More

On September 14, 2025, in Madrid, Spain, the Vuelta a Espana comes to an unprecedented halt as the final stage is canceled with 56 km to go due to large-scale pro-Palestinian protests in the heart of the Spanish capital. Despite a massive deployment of around 1,500 officers, demonstrators break through police barriers at Cibeles, chant ''Free Palestine,'' and block the race circuit. For security reasons, several pro-Israel sympathizers are escorted away from the area by Policia Nacional to prevent direct clashes. (Photo by Francesco Militello Mirto/NurPhoto)

La Vuelta Collapses Miles Short Of Its Own Finish Line

Pro-Palestinian protesters wave flags and shout as the peloton rides by in Poio at the start of the 16th stage of the Vuelta a Espana, a 172 km race between Poio and Castro de Herville, on September 9, 2025. (Photo by Miguel RIOPA / AFP)

Israel–Premier Tech’s Presence At La Vuelta Is Ruining The Race

BILBAO, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 03: A group of fans protest against Team Israel - Premier Tech riders by displaying Palestinian flags at arrival during the La Vuelta - 80th Tour of Spain 2025, Stage 11 a 157.4km stage from Bilbao to Bilbao / #UCIWT / on September 03, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

You Can Advertise The State Of Israel On Your Shirt Or Ride Undisrupted In La Vuelta, But Not Both


<p>Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99</p>


Diana Moskovitz

A protester holds a backwards American flag outside of Dodger Stadium during a protest against the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and ICE immigration raids on June 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

The Dodgers Are Disappointing The People Who Want To Love Them The Most

Israel Daramola

Photo from the No Kings protest in Los Angeles.

Politics

So What Is It Gonna Take?

Barry Petchesky

A small group of demonstrators protests outside the entrance of Dodger Stadium on the night of the team's June 19 game.

Policing

The Dodgers Can’t Sit This Moment Out

Lauren Theisen

Protests Big

Tom Ley

(L-R) U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) react during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18.

This Party Sucks

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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

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 28: U.S. President Donald Trump (C) and Vice President JD Vance (R) meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) in the Oval Office at the White House on February 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump and Zelensky are meeting today to negotiate a preliminary agreement on sharing Ukraine’s mineral resources that Trump says will allow America to recoup aid provided to Kyiv while supporting Ukraine’s economy. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

JD Vance Screamed Out Of Planned Ski Vacation In Vermont

Chris Kluwe Arrested At City Council Meeting For Calling Out Garish MAGA Plaque

<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?

Counter protesters attack pro-Palestinian protesters at a pro-Palestinian encampment set up on the campus of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) as clashes erupt, in Los Angeles on May 1, 2024. Clashes broke out on May 1, 2024 around pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the University of California, Los Angeles, as universities around the United States struggle to contain similar protests on dozens of campuses. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP)

UCLA Chooses Violence Over Divestment

Samer Kalaf

The Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Columbia University.

The Crackdown Explains The Protest

Arts And Culture

PEN America Chooses The Most Cowardly Words

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<div>Casey Taylor is a writer living and working in Pittsburgh. He is currently writing a book for St. Martin&#8217;s Press about cannabis religions, Haile Selassie I, and the Cold War in the Caribbean. He also writes a free newsletter called <a href="https://weedchurch.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://weedchurch.substack.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1709306863919000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1mVH2xiID6S0zvlyj6yHco">Weed Church</a> covering foolish spiritual things that occur to him. His work has appeared in The New Republic, WIRED, New York Magazine, and a sports blog he can’t currently recall the name of. You can <a href="mailto:caseyt7@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">email</a> him if you’d like.</div>
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Casey Taylor

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 27: A person holds a sign during a vigil for U.S. Airman Aaron Bushnell at the US Army Recruiting Office in Times Square on February 27, 2024 in New York City. Bushnell died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC on Sunday. In a video that was posted to a social media account showing the act, he stated that would “no longer be complicit in genocide," before pouring an unknown liquid over himself and igniting it while yelling “Free Palestine” repeatedly. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Why Did Aaron Bushnell Burn?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Dennis Young is the news editor at Front Office Sports.</span></p>


Dennis Young

Marathon running holding a Palestinian flag

Olympics

How Four Marathoners Organized A Ceasefire Protest From Across The Country

<p>Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.</p>


Nicholas Russell

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors gather as they demonstrate against Israeli war on Gaza calling for a ceasefire at Sergelstorg Square in Stockholm, Sweden, October 22, 2023.

What Happens After The Rally Ends?

<p>Micah Herskind is an organizer, policy advocate, and writer based in Atlanta, GA.</p>


Micah Herskind

Environmental activists hold a rally and a march through the Atlanta Forest, a preserved forest Atlanta that is scheduled to be developed as a police training center, March 4, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Intent upon stopping the building of what they have called cop city, the environmentalists were evicted from the forest in January, resulting in the killing by police of Manuel Teran, a young activist and medic.

The Stop Cop City Indictment Is An Act Of Desperation

<p>Staff Writer</p>
<p>Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19</p>


Chris Thompson

A protester explodes a bag of orange powder atop a billiard table.

Life's Rich Pageant

Terrible Scenes At The Crucible As Snooker Championship Match Abandoned Due To Rude Powdering

DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 22: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after a call in the second half against the Golden State Warriors at American Airlines Center on March 22, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)