Pikachu Chased by Police and Hit by Tear Gas... What Happened in Turkey?

Pikachu Appears at Mass Anti-Government Protests
Protesters Rally Against Arrest of Main Opposition Presidential Candidate

'Pikachu,' the representative character of Japan's famous animation Pok?mon, is emerging as a symbol of anti-government protests in Turkey. On the 27th, foreign media including the New York Post reported that a video of Pikachu being chased by police during recent anti-government protests in Turkey has become a hot topic.

The character 'Pikachu,' a representative figure from Japan's famous animation Pok?mon, is emerging as a symbol of anti-government protests in Turkey. On the 27th, foreign media including the New York Post reported that a video of Pikachu being chased by police during recent anti-government protests in Turkey has become a hot topic. Photo by New York Post

In videos shared on online communities and social networking services (SNS), hundreds of protesters are seen fleeing from the police, with Pikachu blending into the crowd and running away together. This was a scene of a citizen wearing an actual Pikachu costume fleeing. Netizens who saw Pikachu running quickly with small steps reacted with comments such as "So cute," "It's amazing that this is a real video," "It looks fun, but it seems like a very urgent situation," and "I thought it was an AI-generated composite video." Among them, one netizen said, "The fact that I didn't even know protests were happening in Turkey until someone wore a Pikachu costume and protested shows the power of memes." At the protest site, crowds took commemorative photos with Pikachu, carried the Turkish flag, and followed Pikachu. Online, AI-generated photos and parody posters related to Pikachu were also created.

One netizen said, "The fact that I didn't even know protests were happening in Turkey until someone wore a Pikachu costume and held a demonstration shows the power of memes." New York Post

Meanwhile, in Turkey recently, large-scale anti-government protests have erupted after the police arrested Ekrem ?mamo?lu, the mayor of Istanbul, who is the main opposition candidate and a rival to current President Erdo?an, who has been in power for 23 years this year. The arrest of the Istanbul mayor from the opposition party, a rival to President Erdo?an who has ruled for 22 years, led to continued political repression by Erdo?an, prompting young people to flood the streets with slogans like "Let's stand against fascism." The Turkish government suspended broadcasts of some media outlets and even expelled foreign media including the BBC, but the protests have not subsided, with about 2,000 people arrested so far.

Amid ongoing criticism from the international community, President Erdogan and government officials have warned that they consider the protests illegal and will continue to respond firmly. Photo by AP and Yonhap News

Amid ongoing international criticism, President Erdo?an and government officials have labeled the protests illegal and warned they will continue to respond firmly. President Erdo?an attended a Ramadan fast-breaking event the day before and said, "Those who want to turn this country into a place of chaos have nowhere to go," criticizing, "The path the protesters have taken is a dead end." Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya also stated, "We will make no concessions to those who terrorize the streets, attack our national and moral values, or assault police officers."