Gen Z led protests starting in Indonesia have spread across the globe. While the reasons for the protests are different, activists across all continents are rallying behind the same pirate flag: a grinning skull and cross bones wearing a straw hat.
The flag comes from the Japanese manga and anime “One Piece” which follows the young captain Luffy and his quest to find the ancient treasure called the One piece.
Created by Japanese manga artist Eiichiro Oda in 1997, One Piece is an ongoing comic book series which has published over 110 volumes. The franchise has become a global phenomenon, selling more than 500 million copies and earning multiple Guinness World Records.
At the core of the “One Piece” universe Luffy and his crew fight corrupt powers including those in autocratic world governments.
Luffy stands for freedom and individual choice. Throughout the series, they protect marginalized groups and stand up against corrupt figures of authority.
In protest, the flag was first seen in Indonesia, on the country’s 80th anniversary. At this time many were flying the national flag. However, some flew the One Piece flag instead, as it represented what they were fighting for.
The protest went viral, and the Indonesian government labeled One Piece emblems as treason. Despite attempts to censor any discontent of the government, and counter campaigns which saw raids across the country in an attempt to remove any resemblance of the pirate flag, hundreds of thousands have rallied behind the flag in the largest demonstrations Indonesia has seen since 1998.
Use of the flag was then quickly picked up by Gen Z protesters in Nepal. Demonstrations began after recognition of the severe wealth inequality and a ban on social media by the government to censor discontent. As a result, protests were organized which were met with violent reactions from the Nepalese police. 72 protesters were killed and 2,100 were injured further fueling the proletarian rage within the people who would force the lift on social media and the resignation of Nepal’s prime minister.
This event inspired protests all around the world with Gen Z activists organizing demonstrations in the Philippines, Serbia, Kenya, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru and Madagascar starting a global movement and a symbol for Gen Z activism.
The global adoption of the One Piece flag is more than a cultural trend, it represents an integral convergence of fiction into political reality. What began as an isolated act of protest in Indonesia has now snowballed into a universal emblem of resistance for Gen Z activists across all continents.
The flag, once a simple artistic creation from Japan, has been adopted in all corners of the world as an enduring symbol of hope and rebellion for a generation determined to chart its own course toward a just and free future.
