Bitcoin detractors and those protesting the policies of El Salvador president Nayib Bukele have destroyed a cryptocurrency kiosk in the country’s capital.
The news media Teleprensa and others posted videos on social media showing a Chivo kiosk in San Salvador on Wednesday burned in the middle of a crowd of journalists and protesters. The Bitcoin (BTC) machine, one of many organized by the government of El Salvador since accepting digital currency as the legal tender in the country, could be undone with anti-BTC logos and a poster that he says that “democracy is not sold.”
Protesters burned the Chivo kiosk as a measure of protest against the #Bitcoin.
via @ Luis33Tv # Teleprensa33 #Nationals pic.twitter.com/XlacUWCPNN
– Teleprensa (@ Teleprensa33) September 15, 2021
San Salvador Mayor Mario Durán dit city workers had withdrawn from the area after receiving threats, but were scheduled to return later this afternoon. At the time of publication, the damage appears to have been limited to the Chivo machine in Gerardo Barrios Square, in the center of the capital, but it was also reported that protesters burned furniture from one of the shops in the square.
The Chivo kiosk, similar to a Bitcoin ATM, is one of approximately 200 in El Salvador, which is part of the government’s launch to accept BTC as the legal tender currency alongside the US dollar. President Bukele has said he expects crypto ATMs to end up being “everywhere” in the country, but has stated that no one will be forced to use Bitcoin.
Even before the Bitcoin law came into force on September 7, El Salvador faced resistance to seemingly radical legislation. Protesters calling themselves the bloc of resistance and popular rebellion marched through the streets of the capital in July, while a group of retirees, veterans, disabled pensioners and other workers formed their own demonstration in the month Next.
# ️⃣ #NOW | Great marches in El Salvador, against President Bukele, for the use of Bitcoin. pic.twitter.com/fnsBjQIJ0e
– World in Conflict (@MundoEConflicto) September 15, 2021
Related: Bitcoin detractors in El Salvador: Opposition groups meet as cryptographic law applies
The same day the country’s Bitcoin law went into effect, the price of the cryptocurrency fell below $ 43,000, prompting Bukele to say he had “bought the dip” with the purchase of an additional 150 BTC . At the time of publication, the price of BTC was $ 47,978, having risen more than 3% in the last 24 hours.