This week is NFT week in New York City as ApeFest and the NFT.NYC festival happen at the same time – but a Westboro Baptist Church-style protest against the non-fungible tokens stole the show on Monday. The protestors carried signs with slogans such as “God hates NFTs” and ""Ethereum":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/ethereum is Anti-American” written on them, and a video of the protest earned over 2.2 million views. But many have since theorized the entire event was a staged publicity stunt to swell more NFTs.

pic.twitter.com/wpj1voLQpo

— bobbyhundreds.eth (@bobbyhundreds) June 20, 2022

the crossover of “GOD HATES NFTS” and “ETHEREUM IS ANTI-AMERICAN” is so perfect I could cry. https://t.co/QsP3gb9oxK

— ST (∞, ∞) (@seyitaylor) June 20, 2022

NFT investors and artists produced several NFT projects about the protest and its signs, jokingly selling the ironic anti-NFT content online.

The collection is live!!
NYC NFT Protest collection with all the signs 😂😂https://t.co/D3qXsIwXbI pic.twitter.com/WuQjEqOpHp

— JohnStocks.eth 𓋹 (NFT Papi) (@1n0nlyJT) June 20, 2022

I turned this NFT protest into a song.

(And the song is an NFT!👇)https://t.co/eSNGYnII4Y https://t.co/btFfxrCZ3n pic.twitter.com/JPSZy3upcU

— Jonathan Mann (@songadaymann) June 20, 2022

The protest was apparently staged by streetwear artist Bobby Hundreds to promote Adam Bomb Squad, the NFT pop-up which the protest happened in front of. Hundreds has coyly admitted responsibility to a journalist, and many people on social media have praised and criticized the stunt.

Let it be known: the protest is officially a stunt 🎊

Spoke with @bobbyhundreds himself, who told me what he was going for and why he thinks the community needs a laugh right now

Also, there may or may not be plans for another "protest" tomorrow…https://t.co/gcjbU1E1CH

— Asa Hiken (@asabhiken) June 20, 2022

ppl getting so triggered by the fake nft protest shows it was good marketing

— icebergy ❄️ (@icebergy_) June 20, 2022

I can't believe most people still think the NFT protest was real. Great marketing stunt @bobbyhundreds

— migs (@migscrypto) June 21, 2022

The protest happened during the NFT.NYC Festival, the theme of which is “Diversity in NFTs.”

pov: you meet your web3 crush at nft nyc 👉👈 pic.twitter.com/im2Sroe1Qk

— kmoney (@kmoney_69) June 20, 2022

The “builders” showing up to NFT NYC like pic.twitter.com/7ZV3JcUCBr

— Scuffed.eth (@zscuffed) June 21, 2022

Join us TODAY from 8:30 – 9:30 am ET on the Red Steps in Times Square for an #NFTNYC Billboard Takeover.

The #NFTNYC2022 theme is "Diversity of NFTs" – what does this mean to you? pic.twitter.com/0KoFrX539l

— NFT.NYC (@NFT_NYC) June 21, 2022

my art in times square 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ylNr7F2k1d

— Kaleb NFT NYC (KalebsCode) June 21, 2022

Meanwhile, ApeFest 2022, in which holders of Bored Apes and Mutant Apes NFTs come together to socialize, had its first of four days yesterday. The ApeFest Day 1 line-up included comedian Amy Schumer, to the chagrin and entertainment of many. A number of memes were made about the type of event this year’s ApeFest is shaping up to be.

Apefest is the only place where there is no line for the womens bathroom

— MICHAELA ✈️ NFT NYC (@michaela_nft) June 21, 2022

“Apefest is gonna be a movie”

The movie: pic.twitter.com/YB36Y6rGvc

— Degentraland (@Degentraland) June 20, 2022

apefest: expectation vs reality pic.twitter.com/byWFm9OHfN

— jessie (@JessieMorii) June 21, 2022

imagine ur portfolio down 90% and u roll up to apefest and have to listen to amy schumer jokes about her vagina. ☠️

— NFTmachine🤖 (@NFT__machine) June 21, 2022