Protests erupted across Turkey after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem I havemoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan’s most prominent political opponent, on alleged links to terrorist groups. But in the midst of the chaos, one surreal image took over the internet: a protester in inflatable Pikachu’s suits, which is scattered by police during punishment in Antalya.
The viral moment was first shared by the writer and political commentator Adam Schwartz in Blueski. “Pikachu was spotted among anti-anchoric protesters fleeing police in Antalya, Turkey last night,” he wrote. The piston, later released to X, drew wide attention. “Pokémon has risen against Erdogan,” one user joked.
According to 404 media, the original video was filmed by Ismail Kocheroglu, a photojournalist at the University of Akdeniz in Antalya. The footage shows the streets filled with refugees, with the Pikachu costume running frantically in the middle of the crowd. At the moment, bizarre, yet symbolic, has quickly become one of the most widespread visuals of the protests. The ass-generated image of Pikachu at the protesters has also become viral.
The protests were caused by the arrest of Immoglu, a key leader of the opposition Republican People’s Party (PE). As reported by Reuters, he was arrested on charges of assisting a terrorist group. In his post after his arrest, I have an Amoglu wrote: “I will not give up.” His detention caused anger at national level and led to the arrest of nearly 1,900 protesters.
Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunz addressed the media in Istanbul, which says: “We do not want any politicians arrest, but if there is evidence of injury, then it can happen.” He added: “If we consider the weight of the allegations and because there is a risk that the evidence may be concealed, the judiciary has made a reasonable decision.”
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