From Indonesia To France, The One Piece Flag Is A Symbol Of Generation Z Dissatisfaction In The World

JAKARTA Jolly Roger's pirate flag from the one Piece anime is said to be a symbol of youth resistance to injustice and authoritarianism.

The Straits Times reported that the Morningly Roger flag was first used in protests by the Indonesian protesters in a number of demonstrations in recent months.

The existence of the Jolly Roger flag was once a polemic from July to August, before the celebration of the 80th day of the Republic of Indonesia's independence. For a number of parties, the raising of the One Piece flag is a form of social criticism of the reality of injustice and inequality in Indonesia.

However, the government prohibits the raising as an effort to maintain national unity and integrity within the nation's stability framework. After being widely used in Indonesia, the One Piece flag has also flown in a number of mass actions in the Philippines, Nepal, and even France.

The demonstrators in Nepal waved the One Piece flag. (REUTERS)

In Indonesia, Roger's Jolly flag flew even more after the motorcycle taxi driver, Affan Kurniawan, died after being run over by a Brimob tactical vehicle on August 28, in the middle of a demonstration. At that time, it was known that Affan did not participate in the demonstration, he only delivered food orders for customers.

Citing The Straits using a picture of a cartoon skull on a black cloth, which used to be limited to Japanese anime fans, has now become a protest icon in several Asian regions, even spreading to France.

In early September, Roger's Jolly flag flew across Nepal, as protesters calling themselves Generation Z groups staged a demonstration that was a deadly clash.

In Kathmandu, the Gen Z raised the One Piece flag as a form of resistance against corrupt officials and social media blocking in Nepal. Some of the flags were even equipped with the words 'TheTime is Now' and #WakeUpNepal. At least 19 people died in the demonstration, and forced Prime Minister K Sharma Oli to resign.

In the Philippines, the flag with the same image was seen during the anti-corruption race at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City which was attended by more than 1,000 participants. Photos of the event were then shared at the One Piece forum on Reddit, which has more than 1.6 million followers.

The Jolly Roger flag is not only used in Asia. In France, the September 10 demonstration protested against the policy of cutting public services and President Emmanuel Macron's budget, the flag also struggled.

In the action, it appears that a number of residents wore strawtops, Luffy's signature hat, and brought a version of the flag drawn by the hands and symbols of One Piece.

For young people like Rohan Rai, 19, the flag of Jolly Roger describes freedom, loyalty, and against injustice. This man from Nepal claimed to be inspired by what they saw from demonstrations in Indonesia some time ago.

"We were inspired by them. We have to give the appropriate award, and the young people here are inspired by them," Rai told the Straits Times in an interview via email.

Head of the communications and media department of the National University of Singapore, Dr. Natalie Pang noted, although the pirate flag has historically been used to intimidate and spread fear, One Piece has actually reorganized it as a symbol of freedom, friendship, and the pursuit of dreams.

He explained that symbols such as the Morning Roger pirate flag resonated in various cultures because these symbols screened complicated ideas into simple but prominent visuals.

These symbols can be very effective for collective expressions as well as globalizing because people can unite based on the meaning and common values they think are represented by these symbols, "said Pang.

He added that what happened with the flags could be seen as a mixture of popular and political cultures. "These symbols were not only formed by political and social issues, but also formed how people participate in politics, be they protests, deliberations, and discussions," he said.

Meanwhile, Edbert Gani Suryahudaya from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said the widespread use of the Jolly Roger flag showed that protests in Indonesia were of concern to the world. He added that the use of the flag reflects how strong Japanese culture is rooted among young people and has inspired them to act.

Theoretically, international influence in social movements is not new. Almost all large-scale social movements in history involve the spread of the idea of cross-border, "he said.

This flag, said Edbert, can be seen as a sign of the growth of international solidarity among young people who are determined to fight for democracy in their own country.

"There is a possibility that this moment will not stop here and may expand to affect other parts of the world," said Edbert.

His colleague, Nicky Fahrizal, noted that the raising of the One Piece flag reflects the broader flow of grassroots resistance. He said the movement was formed by social networks that allow residents to organize cross-border.

The problem is clear: the experience of social injustice, corruption, and state violence has become the main driver. On that basis, resistance strategies do not always appear in formal arenas. Sometimes these strategies actually arise through popular cultural channels," he said.