Young people are rolling up to anti-government protests around the world in increasing numbers. Specific causes vary, but one symbol is increasingly crossing borders and languages.
Many young protesters are rallying beneath a fictional pirate flag from a popular Japanese manga and anime series called One Piece — an expansive franchise with more than 100 volumes of books and well over 1,000 episodes.
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Origins of the ‘One Piece’ pirate flag
The flag made its way out of comic books and into the real world last summer in Indonesia, when Gen Z protesters adopted the symbol. According to Human Rights Watch, “civil and political rights declined in Indonesia in the past decade under the Jokowi administration,” which ended a year ago.
In the lead up to Indonesia’s 80th independence day, the government had told its citizens to fly the country’s flag with patriotic pride. In defiance, many hoisted the anime pirate colors instead.
“This is a symbol of warning for the government, so they have to look at their people,” mural artist Kemas Muhammad Firdaus told Reuters. “Many Indonesians are hoisting the ‘One Piece’ flag because they want the government to listen to them.”
In the “One Piece” series, Monkey D. Luffy and his friends, the Straw Hat Pirates, search for freedom, friendship and fortune on the high seas. During their quest for a mythical treasure called “One Piece,” the band of pirates fights back against the authoritarian World Government, all while flying their own version of the famous Jolly Roger.
In Indonesia, several politicians strongly opposed the pirate symbol. One official called it “a coordinated attempt to divide the nation.” The flag was still flown all over the country, leading to targeted raids and confiscations.
From there, the movement spread to Peru, Nepal, Paraguay, The Philippines, Madagascar and the United States.
First Amendment freedoms
Nearly 7 million people protested at over 2,700 protests across the U.S. for No Kings Day on October 18th.
American protests
A 2024 Tufts University study found 20% of American youth have engaged in issue advocacy and 18% have gone to demonstrations. Many now do so under a cartoon Jolly Roger.
“It’s a story about freedom and the journey to obtain it,” said Nep, a volunteer medic wearing the symbolic straw hat in Omaha, Nebraska, during this month’s No Kings protest. In addition to wearing the hat and an embroidered patch of the flag, Nep showed Straight Arrow News a copy of the “One Piece” manga, hidden in a jacket to protect against rubber bullets.
Other popular symbols of resistance
This isn’t the first time fictional pop culture elements have become a rallying symbol in the real world. In 2014, youth protesting against a coup in Thailand held up three fingers in a salute from the Hunger Games franchise. The government banned the use of the gesture, detaining protesters who used it.
Red robes and white bonnets from “The Handmaid’s Tale” also make regular appearances at demonstrations, intended to represent a defense of bodily autonomy.
The mustachioed Guy Fawkes mask, made popular by “V for Vendetta,” symbolizes public unity against authoritarianism. The mask was picked up by the hacker group Anonymous, which uses computer skills to expose perceived wrongdoers.
Today, youth protesters around the globe don straw hats with red ribbons and wave a Jolly Roger. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
