Pro-Palestinian and Israeli protests cost Metropolitan Police £26.5m

Published

1 year ago

January 24, 2024

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The policing of pro-Palestinian and Israeli protests in London has cost the Metropolitan Police £26.5m so far, one of the force’s senior officers has confirmed.

Assistant commissioner Matt Twist, who is in charge of operations, said 30,000 officer shifts had been spent on the nine pro-Palestinian and three pro-Israeli demonstrations in the capital since the Hamas attacks in Israel on 7 October and the subsequent war in Gaza.

He told a Policy Exchange event on Wednesday that around 6,800 shifts had been carried out by officers coming into London to assist the Met and 4,600 rest days had been cancelled.

Politics live: PM bites back at criticism of support for Israel

Mr Twist warned of a wider impact on the force’s counter-terrorism operations since the start of the conflict, saying the Met had received 2,700 public referrals to its extremism line – a 700% increase – and there were 30 ongoing investigations.

“So what the future brings is something we are all alert to,” he added. “We need to be careful around this.”

The Met has come in for criticism over its policing of the marches, including from within government.

A number of ministers questioned if officers were being tough enough against protesters they believed were inciting hatred, while former home secretary Suella Braverman accused the force of “biased” in favour of left-wing protesters.

But Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said his officers were “constantly managing tensions” and would “robustly enforce up to the line of the law”.

He also told Sky News there was a “gap” in the law when it comes to extremism, and there was “scope to be much sharper” in legislation to tackle it amid the protests.

On Wednesday, Mr Twist said the “very, very large” protests held during weekends were an “acute challenge” for the force and its officers, alongside the “chronic challenges of dealing with daily protest, activism and demonstrations every single day”.

But he insisted the force’s response to the protests had “become sharper and more decisive as the events have progressed”, adding that the “context” of the ongoing conflict was key.

The assistant commissioner also said the impact on both Jewish and Muslim communities in the city “resonates so loudly on the streets of London”, so it was important for officers to be “alert” to it.

“That is why we are making so much effort and putting in so much time into engaging with local communities,” added the assistant commissioner.

“[The Met has made] over 16,000 visits to synagogues, mosques and schools as well [built on] as strategic partnerships we have with some of the senior members of those communities right across the capital.”

Politics

Trump’s pick for SEC chair makes it out of committee

Published

3 hours ago

April 3, 2025

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Trump’s pick for SEC chair makes it out of committee

Lawmakers in the US Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the nomination of Paul Atkins to be a member of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), paving the way for a full floor vote in the chamber.

In an April 3 executive session of the banking committee, lawmakers voted 13-11 for Atkins to serve two consecutive terms as an SEC commissioner, taking over former Chair Gary Gensler’s term and another term ending in 2031.

Atkins’ nomination will soon go to the Republican-controlled Senate for a full floor vote, where many experts suggest he is likely to be confirmed.

Politics, Senate, SEC, Bitcoin Regulation, Donald Trump — *Senator Tim Scott addressing lawmakers on April 3. Source:* *US Senate Banking Committee*

Before calling for a vote, committee chair Tim Scott said Atkins would bring “much-needed clarity for digital assets.” Ranking member Elizabeth Warren reiterated earlier concerns about Trump’s SEC pick helping “billionaire scammers” like former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and Tesla CEO Elon Musk “actively trying to destroy” federal agencies.

This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.

Politics

US sanctions 8 crypto wallets tied to Garantex, Houthis

Published

6 hours ago

April 3, 2025

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US sanctions 8 crypto wallets tied to Garantex, Houthis

The US Treasury Department sanctioned eight cryptocurrency wallet addresses linked to Russian crypto exchange Garantex and the Houthis.

The United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned eight crypto addresses that data from blockchain forensic firms Chainalysis and TRM Labs had linked to the organizations. Two are deposit addresses at major crypto platforms, while the other six are privately controlled.

Russia, Terrorism, Sanctions, Money Laundering — *Visualization of transaction flow related to OFAC sanctions. Source:* *Chainalysis*

The addresses in question reportedly moved nearly $1 billion worth of funds linked to sanctioned entities. Most of the transactions funded Houthi operations in Yemen and the Red Sea region.

Slava Demchuk, a crypto-focused money laundering specialist and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime consultant told Cointelegraph that “the inclusion of Houthi-linked wallets reflects a broader recognition of crypto’s role in geopolitical conflicts and terrorism financing.” He added:

“The implications are far-reaching — compliance frameworks must adapt swiftly, attribution efforts will intensify, and decentralized platforms may face increased scrutiny.“

Demchuk highlighted that the situation reshapes the regulatory landscape. According to him, crypto “is now firmly within the scope of international security.

Who are the Houthis?

The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, are a Yemeni political and armed movement that emerged from the Zaidi Shia community. Originating as a revivalist and reformist group, they later became a major force in Yemen’s ongoing conflict.

In recent years, the Houthis have engaged in attacks against both military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea with missiles and drones. In January, US President Donald Trump designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization.

The announcement noted that “the Houthis’ activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade.” The group was recently struck by a US bombing campaign.

Garantex: Russia’s crypto laundromat

Garantex is a Russian crypto exchange that was sanctioned and shut down in early March after purportedly helping money-laundering efforts. At the time, Tether — the leading stablecoin operator and issuer of USDt — froze $27 million in USDt on the platform, forcing it to halt operations.

The platform has reportedly shifted millions of dollars as it sought to reboot under its new brand, “Grinex.”

In mid-March, officials with India’s Central Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of Lithuanian national Aleksej Bešciokov, who was alleged to have operated the cryptocurrency exchange Garantex.

The arrest of the alleged Garantex founder was based on US charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again

Politics

Alabama, Minnesota lawmakers join US states pushing for Bitcoin reserves

Published

9 hours ago

April 3, 2025

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Alabama, Minnesota lawmakers join US states pushing for Bitcoin reserves

Lawmakers in the US states of Minnesota and Alabama filed companion bills to identical existing bills that if passed into law, would allow each state to buy Bitcoin.

The Minnesota Bitcoin Act, or HF 2946, was introduced to the state’s House by Republican Representative Bernie Perryman on April 1, following an identical bill introduced on March 17 by GOP state Senator Jeremy Miller.

Meanwhile, on the same day in Alabama, Republican state Senator Will Barfoot introduced Senate Bill 283, while a bi-partisan group of representatives led by Republican Mike Shaw filed the identical House Bill 482, which allows for the state to invest in crypto, but essentially limits it to Bitcoin (BTC).

Twin Alabama bills don’t explicitly name Bitcoin

Minnesota’s Bitcoin Act would allow the state’s investment board to invest state assets in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and permit state employees to add crypto to retirement accounts.

It would also exempt crypto gains from state income taxes and give residents the option to pay state taxes and fees with Bitcoin.

The twin Alabama bills don’t explicitly identify Bitcoin, but would limit the state’s crypto investment into assets that have a minimum market value of $750 billion, a criterion that only Bitcoin currently meets.

26 Bitcoin reserve bills now introduced in the US

Introducing identical bills is not uncommon in the US and is typically done to speed up the bicameral legislative process so laws can pass more quickly.

Bills to create a Bitcoin reserve have been introduced in 26 US states, with Arizona currently the closest to passing a law to make one, according to data from the bill tracking website Bitcoin Laws.

Pennsylvania was one of the first US states to introduce a Bitcoin reserve bill, in November 2024. However, the initiative was reportedly eventually rejected, with similar bills also killed in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Law, Bitcoin Regulation, United States, Policy, Bitcoin Reserve — *Montana, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wyoming are the five states thathave rejected Bitcoin reserve initiatives. Source: Bitcoin Laws*

According to a March 3 report by Barron’s, “red states” like Montana have faced setbacks to the Bitcoin reserve initiatives amid political confrontations between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

Additional reporting by Helen Partz.

Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again