Hoist the Jolly Manga: Gen Z Protesters Rally to ‘One Piece‘ Pirate Flag
A โsymbol from the popular manga series One Piece – the skull and crossbones featuring a strawโ hat – is unexpectedly emerging as a banner โคof protest for youth โmovements worldwide. Demonstrations in countries including Madagascar,Indonesia,Nepal,the Philippines,France,and Peru โhave seen the flag flown,signaling a new form of political expression driven by Generation Z.
The trend began gaining visibility โฃduring recent rallies in Indonesia, where the government even considered a ban on the flag.In Madagascar, organizers of protests against power andโ water failures promoted the symbol through the Instagram account โค”Gen Z madagascar.”
“I grew up with One Piece, like the โvast โคmajority of Gen Z, so itโ has become a symbol for us,” explainedโ Kai, a 26-year-old protester โคin Madagascar who requested anonymity. He believes the โฃseries โขembodies a struggle against “oppressive governments.”
The One Piece series, created by Japanese artistโข Eiichiro Oda, follows Monkeyโค D.โ Luffy‘s quest to become the Pirate King. Comprising over 100 volumes,the epic has sold hundreds of millions of copies globallyโ and champions themes of dreams and freedom. โขLuffy’s journey involves fighting against the oppressiveโค “World Government” across islands inspired by real-world locations likeโข Egypt,Spain,and Japan,and also incorporates ecologicalโค messaging.
Phedra Derycke, author โof One Piece: Lessons Of Power, describes the series as a “global” quest. She notes that Oda “develops manyโข political themes: a ruling caste that exploits the people, slavery, discrimination, racism,” within the adventure narrative. Derycke observed parallels between these themes and theโ recent youth protests. She also suggests the โskull and crossbones is a “depoliticised” symbol, โeasily โadapted for diverse โprotest contexts.
In France, the flag appeared during recent demonstrations alongside traditional union banners.โค Julien Dubon, a 45-year-old โteacher carrying โthe luffy banner in Lyon,โข stated he was continuing a โขmovement “the โคyouth of Asiaโฆ started,” believing it woudl resonate with a wider audience than conventionalโข protest flags.
Anthropologist Elisabeth Soulie,who studies generation Z,views the flag as an โ”emotional” emblem andโข a “unifier” for young peopleโฃ who often organize collectively online,lacking traditionalโ leadership structures.
Manga specialist Derycke believes the flag’s โreach will continue to expand through social networks,potentiallyโ becoming an even more prominent symbol of global โprotest.
