The New York City subway system serves as the primary avenue in which diverse groups of people come into contact. Recently, it’s become the center of many national issues coming up against each other. Economic issues stemming from not being able to afford basic cost of living, the attacks on immigrants, over-policing affecting Black and brown communities, and the rise of vigilantes, are all broad issues that share the NYC subway system as a common thread.

There’s a new top cop in New York City. On Thursday, September 12, former NYPD captain and current NYC Mayor Eric Adams appointed Thomas Donlon as the new interim head of the NYPD. Donlon is a former FBI agent who specializes in counterintelligence and “counterterrorism.” His appointment signals a worrying turning point in the rising tide of political repression, particularly against activists engaged in the Palestinian liberation movement and in national liberation struggles generally.

Thomas Donlon replaces former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, who resigned earlier the same day on September 12, amidst an ongoing federal investigation into corruption among top NYPD officials.