A protester dressed as Pikachu has taken the internet by storm after videos circulated online of the beloved Pokemon character running from police at a demonstration against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Pikachu posters and costumes have since appeared as symbols at protests, according to photos shared online.
Protests erupted in Turkey on Saturday after Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested on terrorism charges - Erdogan’s main political rival. Turkish authorities also arrested, and later released, Imamoglu’s lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan.
#BREAKING | Pikachu was spotted fleeing from the police during anti-Erdoğan protests in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/NhTgV7FqHe
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"As if the coup on democracy wasn't enough, they can't stand the victims of this coup defending themselves," Imamoglu said on X/Twitter.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said this week that nearly 1,900 people had been detained since the protests began, adding that courts had jailed 260 of them pending trial as of Thursday.
A letter from Imamoglu was read out at the rally to cheers from the crowd.
"I have no fear. You are behind me and by my side. I have no fear because the nation is united. The nation is united against the oppressor," the letter said. "They can put me in jail and try me as much as they want. The nation has shown that it will crush all traps and plots."
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Turkey's political crisis
Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for over two decades, has dismissed the protests as a "show," warned of legal consequences, and called on the CHP to stop "provoking" Turks.
Since Imamoglu's detention, Turkish financial assets have plunged, prompting the central bank to use reserves to support the lira. The turmoil has sent shockwaves through the private sector.
The government has said the impact will be limited and temporary. The central bank said the economy's core dynamics were unharmed, but it would take further measures if needed.