On a hot August afternoon, muralist Kemas Muhammad Firdaus stood in an empty lot in West Java’s Bekasi district, spray-painting a skull in a straw hat. The image — instantly recognizable to manga and anime fans — is the pirate flag of One Piece character Monkey D. Luffy.
But this wasn’t fandom. It was protest.
Across Indonesia, in the lead-up to Independence Day on August 17, students and activists have taken to flying the One Piece pirate flag to voice dissent against the government. Citing frustration over corruption, unemployment, and increased military involvement in civilian affairs, protesters have turned the pop culture symbol into a striking emblem of youth unrest.
“Many Indonesians are hoisting the One Piece flag because they want the government to listen to them,” said Kemas, 28, as he painted the mural — which even mimicked design elements from the logo for Indonesia’s 80th anniversary.
An Unlikely Symbol of Protest
Luffy’s flag — typically a sign of fictional treasure-hunting pirates — has been repurposed into a real-world political symbol, dominating Indonesian social media and student protest spaces. In Central Java, flag seller Dendi Christanto reported overwhelming demand for custom “One Piece” flags, and has since stopped accepting orders.
The protests are part of a broader wave of youth-led dissent, reigniting memories of Indonesia’s long tradition of student activism. Many are calling this new wave “Dark Indonesia,” a nod to protests earlier this year sparked by budget cuts and policy shifts favoring military influence.
Crackdowns and Criticism
Not everyone is amused by the symbolism. A member of parliament likened the One Piece imagery to treason. In East Java, authorities reportedly confiscated flags — a move Amnesty International criticized as excessive and authoritarian.
President Prabowo Subianto’s office responded by affirming support for free speech, but warned that pairing the pirate flag with the national flag could be seen as disrespectful.
“They didn’t have to do all that, accusing them of dividing Indonesia — that’s wrong,” Kemas said. “It’s just art.”
Freedom, Identity, and the Power of Pop Culture
In a country that remembers the 1998 student protests that toppled an authoritarian regime, the current generation is finding new, creative outlets to express dissent. And in today’s media-saturated world, that includes anime.
The use of the One Piece flag shows how global pop culture can evolve into local protest language — one that’s vivid, visual, and resonant with a younger, digitally-connected generation.
As Independence Day approaches, Luffy’s flag may no longer just stand for pirates — it now waves for change.
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