A person dressed as Pikachu joined mass protests in Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main political rival.
The protester dressed as the Pokémon character was initially seen marching alongside demonstrators before sprinting away as security forces deployed water cannons. A video of the moment quickly went viral.
🇹🇷 #BREAKING | Pikachu was spotted fleeing from the police during anti-Erdoğan protests in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/NhTgV7FqHe
— Universal News (@universalnewsx) March 27, 2025
Reports later confirmed that Pikachu returned to the streets after evading arrest.
Having been quick on his tiny little feet last night, Pikachu managed to evade arrest and is back on streets tonight to lead the anti-Erdogan protests.
The crowd will go wherever Pikachu tells them to go.
🇹🇷🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/ZikdIlAbLr
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 27, 2025
Imamoglu, arrested on March 19 on charges of corruption and supporting terrorism, faces allegations that critics argue are politically motivated, given his position as the leading opposition candidate for the 2028 presidential election.
His arrest has ignited the largest wave of protests in Turkey in over a decade, with nearly 1,900 people detained since the nationwide demonstrations began eight days ago. In response, authorities have deployed pepper spray, plastic pellets, and water cannons to break up the demonstrations.
Turkish police fired tear gas on a protester wearing a whirling dervish costume and a gas mask, while he was spinning in front of a police barricade at the Imamoglu gathering in Sarachane, Istanbul. pic.twitter.com/IBBdX1AASC
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) March 24, 2025
Imamoglu remains in jail awaiting trial, while opposition leaders continue to call for nationwide protests and boycotts of pro-government businesses in support of Imamoglu.
