Just minutes after Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was dramatically dragged out of the Ecuadorian Embassy by British police Twitter went wild.
Meme artists quickly formed a variety of comparisons between Assange and well-known characters from film and TV including Only Fools and Horses’ Uncle Albert.
In extraordinary scenes, eight policemen had to drag the bearded and dishevelled WikiLeaks founder to a waiting police van as he ranted about Donald Trump and screamed ‘the UK has no civility’.
Twitter went wild with memes just minutes after Wiki-leaks founder Julian Assange was dramatically dragged out of the Ecuadorian Embassy by British police
The 47-year-old was compared to The Simpsons’ Mr Burns, Mary Poppins’ Mr Dawes Senior, Only Fools and Horses’ Uncle Albert, Game of Thrones’ Grand Maester Pycelle and, of course, Father Christmas during a Twitter storm.
His arrest came after the Ecuadorian government ended his asylum status, saying it was tired of his ‘discourteous’ behaviour and poor personal hygiene, which reportedly included smearing faeces on the walls of the country’s London embassy.
The 47-year-old was compared to The Simpson’s Mr Burns, Mary Poppins’ Mr Dawes Senior (middle right), Only Fools and Horses’ Uncle Albert, Game of Thrones’ Grand Maester Pycelle (middle left) and, of course, Father Christmas
The Wikileaks founder (pictured over a seven-year period) appeared in court yesterday after he was sensationally expelled from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been claiming political refuge
After seven years in the Eduadorian Embassy, escaping extradition to the US over charges of hacking 750,000 classified documents, Assange’s personal appearance left much to be desired.
Assange entered the embassy in Knightsbridge in July 2012 after he lost a battle against extradition to Sweden over two allegations of sexual assault.
He was given political asylum and later made a citizen of Ecuador.
The former hacker was compared to Ben Kingsley who played Trevor Slatterly in Iron Man 3
During his seven-year stay, British taxpayers footed a £13million bill for round-the-clock surveillance and a visible policing effort.
But now US authorities are reportedly set to file further charges in the coming days, including espionage, which can carry a 20-year sentence.
As the country submitted an extradition request, a US senator yesterday boasted ‘he’s our property’.
Twitter’s meme artists quickly formed a variety of hilarious comparisons between Julian Assange and characters from film and TV
He was also likened to a variety of castaway film characters including Tom Hanks and Ben Gunn from Treasure Island
But on Twitter shots of Assange being dragged out of the embassy were accompanied by photos of Mr Burns and Santa Claus as people marvelled over his changed appearance.
One tweet read: ‘Julian Assange was arrested. Apparently seven years in an Ecuadorian embassy makes you look like Grand Maester Pycelle from #GameofThrones.’
Another said: ‘After all this time Uncle Albert is finally getting court-martialled after that debacle of sinking the HMS Peerless. I hope he doesn’t think it is another one of Dell Boy’s stripper gram pranks.’
One read: ‘Poor advert for Ecuadorian hospitality if you arrive as Andy Warhol and leave as Uncle Albert.’
Assange gestures to photographers as he is driven away from Westminster Magistrates’ Court after his hearing yesterday
A few tweets compared Julian Assange with Mr Burns Howard Hughes. One read: ‘Julian Assange looks like Mr. Burns when he morphed into Howard Hughes! #TheSimpsons’
One tweet read: ‘Julian Assange was arrested. Apparently 7 years in an Ecuadorian embassy makes you look like Grand Maester Pycelle from #GameofThrones’
A lengthy white beard and long hair ensured the former hacker resembled a number of older men depicted in film
A lengthy white beard and long hair ensured the former hacker resembled a number of older men depicted in film.
Journalist and broadcaster Neil Clark tweeted: ‘This may not be the worst case scenario for #JulianAssange. He doesn’t look well, he looked like Ben Gunn from Treasure Island as he was being dragged out.’
Another tweet read: ‘Julian Assange looks like Mr. Burns when he morphed into Howard Hughes! #TheSimpsons’
And another said: ‘Why does Julian Assange look like someone starved Santa Claus?’
Photos of Assange being dragged out of the embassy were accompanied by Mr Burns and Santa Claus as people marvelled over his changed appearance
Assange was compared to Grand Maester Pycelle who appeared in 31 episodes of Game of Thrones as a learned man who guided royalty