Turkey Protests: Pikachu Spotted Fleeing Police During Anti-Erdogan Demonstration In Antalya; Real & AI Visuals Surface

Turkey is witnessing a massive protest on its streets following the arrest of two-time mayor Ekrem Im­a­moglu on March 19, sparking public anger. People demanded the government's resignation while staging anti-Erdogan protests across Turkey. Imamoglu’s supporters reportedly believe the decision to arrest and pull down their leader from office is a move to suppress the opposition and strengthen President Recep Tayyip Erdoga's grip on power.

While some people walked raising slogans and flags, a person joined the demonstration dressing himself as the fictional character Pikachu. Recent visuals showed 'Pikachu' fleeing the cops in Turkey's Antalya.

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There are several videos and photos showing a protestor wearing Pikachu costume running the streets as police try to catch him. The yellow cartoon is seen fleeing along with a few other protestors as cops try to nab them during the anti-government demonstration.

The now-viral clips capture the Pokemon-themed activist catching speed and escaping the uniformed police officers as they use water cannons to disperse the crowd and stop the demonstration.

People capture selfies with Pikachu

The Pikachu might have gone viral for fleeing the cops, but there are more visuals from the protests showing the unconventionally dressed demonstrator gaining the spotlight. As people spotted Pikachu at the Turkey protests, they clicked selfies and engaged in a conversation with him.

One of the videos showed a large crowd jumping and running behind the Pikachu as it took the lead with its high speed. Another showed people hugging Pikachu and posing for photos with the cartoon-themed protestor.

AI-generated visuals from Turkey protest

While images and videos recorded on camera during the protest in Turkey surfaced on social media, netizens also came across visuals developed by artificial intelligence.

There were a few posts featuring AI-generated visuals from the Turkey protest, which were also flagged by X.

One of these creations showed not only Pikachu but also other fictional characters joining the demonstration. A now-viral AI picture sketched Pikachu running with Spider-Man and Joker while Batman climbed the police vehicle.