'I have a meme disorder': Meet Wen Johnson who invaded India vs Australia World Cup Final wearing 'Free Palestine' t-shirt
The Ahmedabad police have charged Wen Johnson with unauthorised access into the stadium after he broke security and hugged Virat Kohli during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final.
- Nov 20, 2023,
- Updated Nov 20, 2023 5:19 PM IST
A man breached security at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final between India and Australia, held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Donning a white T-shirt and red shorts, both bearing pro-Palestine statements, the protestor - identified as Wen Johnson, better known as 'Pyjama Man' on TikTok - stormed the pitch after the 13th over of the first innings. Carrying an LGBTQIA+ Pride flag and wearing a mask with the colours of the Palestinian flag, Johnson went on to hug Virat Kohli.
But who exactly is Wen Johnson? After being apprehended by Ahmedabad police, Johnson revealed that he is an Australian who wanted to meet Virat Kohli. "My name is John...I am from Australia. I entered (the field) to meet Virat Kohli. I support Palestine..." Johnson told the media. Palestine has been under attack by Israel since October 7 when Hamas launched a surprise assault on southern Israel.
The police have registered a case against the accused under various sections such as 332, and 447 of the IPC for illegal entry into the stadium of the Gujarat Cricket Association, ANI reported.
As per reports, Johnson has a 'meme disorder,' according to which, he thinks about memes '20 hours a day.'
“I have a meme disorder that causes me to think about memes 20 hours a day. I spend 90 per cent of my life reading memes. MEMES MEMES MEMES and more MEMES!! I have an extremely boring life and is anti-social," TimesNow quoted another account called ‘gofundme’ read about Wen as saying.
But he is also a TikTok star. And his invasion of the India vs Australia match yesterday was not the first time he has done something like this. As per Indian Express, Johnson has amassed a lot of followers on TikTok, courtesy of his eccentric behaviours, and is known to pull pranks, wearing his pyjamas. He is also known for performing the viral "floss" dance in random public spots. Floss is a viral dance trend wherein the dancer swings their arms repeatedly, with fists clenched, pushing it from the back of their body to the front.
Johnson apparently has a history of performing such stunts, and earlier he had intruded into the FIFA Women's World Cup final earlier this year. However, these antics have repeatedly landed him on the wrong side of the law.
Johnson hit headlines in 2020 when he invaded the rugby field at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium during the State of Origin III rugby event, bagging a AUS $220 fine. The incident, along with his impromptu dance at the stadium, was later shared on TikTok. Not long after, Johnson was slapped with a AUS $250 fine for a dangerous prank that involved dangling off a footbridge in Brisbane, to which he pled guilty to charges of creating public nuisance and performing unregulated high risk activities.
He also disrupted traffic at the South Brisbane bus terminal in a stunt where he insisted on repeatedly throwing his hat in circles on the road before lying down, forcing a bus to swerve to avoid hitting him.
Meanwhile, as per an Instagram profile named ‘Pyjamamann’, the pitch invader was seen wearing a "Free Ukraine" t-shirt while invading the pitch during the FIFA Women's World Cup final, causing the match to be delayed for about 20 minutes.
He was seen sprinting onto the pitch and chasing England star Lauren Hemp, wearing a T-shirt that said 'Free Ukraine' and 'Stop Putler,' along with a collage image of Russian President Vladimir Putin and German tyrant Adolf Hitler. He was hauled by security later. His protest was in response to Putin's intention to invade Ukraine in 2022.
Also Read: 'Now they'll have to use Teams': Elon Musk takes a dig at Sam Altman after he joins Microsoft
A man breached security at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final between India and Australia, held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Donning a white T-shirt and red shorts, both bearing pro-Palestine statements, the protestor - identified as Wen Johnson, better known as 'Pyjama Man' on TikTok - stormed the pitch after the 13th over of the first innings. Carrying an LGBTQIA+ Pride flag and wearing a mask with the colours of the Palestinian flag, Johnson went on to hug Virat Kohli.
But who exactly is Wen Johnson? After being apprehended by Ahmedabad police, Johnson revealed that he is an Australian who wanted to meet Virat Kohli. "My name is John...I am from Australia. I entered (the field) to meet Virat Kohli. I support Palestine..." Johnson told the media. Palestine has been under attack by Israel since October 7 when Hamas launched a surprise assault on southern Israel.
The police have registered a case against the accused under various sections such as 332, and 447 of the IPC for illegal entry into the stadium of the Gujarat Cricket Association, ANI reported.
As per reports, Johnson has a 'meme disorder,' according to which, he thinks about memes '20 hours a day.'
“I have a meme disorder that causes me to think about memes 20 hours a day. I spend 90 per cent of my life reading memes. MEMES MEMES MEMES and more MEMES!! I have an extremely boring life and is anti-social," TimesNow quoted another account called ‘gofundme’ read about Wen as saying.
But he is also a TikTok star. And his invasion of the India vs Australia match yesterday was not the first time he has done something like this. As per Indian Express, Johnson has amassed a lot of followers on TikTok, courtesy of his eccentric behaviours, and is known to pull pranks, wearing his pyjamas. He is also known for performing the viral "floss" dance in random public spots. Floss is a viral dance trend wherein the dancer swings their arms repeatedly, with fists clenched, pushing it from the back of their body to the front.
Johnson apparently has a history of performing such stunts, and earlier he had intruded into the FIFA Women's World Cup final earlier this year. However, these antics have repeatedly landed him on the wrong side of the law.
Johnson hit headlines in 2020 when he invaded the rugby field at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium during the State of Origin III rugby event, bagging a AUS $220 fine. The incident, along with his impromptu dance at the stadium, was later shared on TikTok. Not long after, Johnson was slapped with a AUS $250 fine for a dangerous prank that involved dangling off a footbridge in Brisbane, to which he pled guilty to charges of creating public nuisance and performing unregulated high risk activities.
He also disrupted traffic at the South Brisbane bus terminal in a stunt where he insisted on repeatedly throwing his hat in circles on the road before lying down, forcing a bus to swerve to avoid hitting him.
Meanwhile, as per an Instagram profile named ‘Pyjamamann’, the pitch invader was seen wearing a "Free Ukraine" t-shirt while invading the pitch during the FIFA Women's World Cup final, causing the match to be delayed for about 20 minutes.
He was seen sprinting onto the pitch and chasing England star Lauren Hemp, wearing a T-shirt that said 'Free Ukraine' and 'Stop Putler,' along with a collage image of Russian President Vladimir Putin and German tyrant Adolf Hitler. He was hauled by security later. His protest was in response to Putin's intention to invade Ukraine in 2022.
Also Read: 'Now they'll have to use Teams': Elon Musk takes a dig at Sam Altman after he joins Microsoft