In the weeks leading up to Indonesia's 80th Independence Day on August 17 this year, a silent yet powerful movement began to ripple across the country.
Young people and activists began flying Luffy's Straw Hat Pirate flag – on rooftops, motorbikes, street corners, and social media.
The black flag bearing a grinning skull in a straw hat, the Jolly Roger of Monkey D Luffy from One Piece, became an unexpected banner of dissent. What began as a niche act of protest quickly snowballed into a national conversation about freedom, identity, and frustration with the state of governance.
Fiction meets frustration
To fans of One Piece, the Straw Hat Jolly Roger symbolises freedom, resistance, and the refusal to conform to corrupt authority. Luffy, the series' protagonist, is beloved for his rebellion against tyrannical rulers and unjust systems, a narrative that resonates deeply with many Indonesians who feel silenced and marginalised in today's political climate.
"Luffy may be fictional, but his ideals are real. He fights for what's right, not for power," a protester from Yogyakarta told an Indonesian news outlet.
A digital movement
Nova Mujahid, an analyst at Drone Emprit, a state-of-the-art software platform dedicated to social media monitoring and analytics, reported that the call to raise the One Piece flag first appeared on July 26 as a joke on social media platform X in response to comments about the logo for Indonesia's 80th independence day.
Originally meant in jest, the flag later evolved into a symbol of social criticism, reflecting public discontent over issues like account freezes, land confiscation, and unemployment.
Nova noted that the flag's association with freedom and resistance, inspired by the anime's main character Luffy, resonated with fans ("Nakama") advocating against inequality and oppression. As of early August, over 15,000 posts about the flag have circulated, with X and TikTok showing massive engagement.
The Straw Hat flag rapidly became a symbol of broader resistance on social media, where young Indonesians began using hashtags like #IndonesiaGelap ("Dark Indonesia") and #ReformasiDikorupsi ("Reform Corrupted") alongside photos of the black flag.
Social media users connected Luffy's narrative to real-life frustrations with corruption, inequality, and authoritarian tendencies. As one TikTok user posted, "Luffy doesn't care about systems—he cares about people. That's what we want, too" (SCMP, 2025).
Legal and political backlash
The rise of the anime flag has triggered strong reactions from political elites. Deputy Speaker of the House Sufmi Dasco Ahmad called it a "systematic attempt to divide national unity," while some local authorities attempted to ban its display altogether.
However, human rights organisations have pushed back against this narrative. Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) stated that flying the Straw Hat flag falls under the constitutional right to freedom of expression. Komnas HAM chairperson Anis Hidayah affirmed to Indonesian news outlet Antara News that symbolic protest is protected under the 1945 Constitution and cautioned against overreaction by authorities.
Beyond the flag: A generational cry
Cultural observers suggest the symbolic protest reveals a larger generational gap. According to The Jakarta Post, younger Indonesians are increasingly embracing global pop culture, especially Japanese anime as tools for expressing frustration in ways that bypass conventional political language. In contrast, the older generation often clings to nationalist narratives and formal expressions of patriotism.
What makes this movement unique is its deeply emotional connection to the ideals of One Piece. In a world where real-life heroes seem scarce, fictional characters like Luffy offer clarity. His moral compass, centred on freedom, loyalty, and justice, resonates with Indonesians struggling under systems they see as exploitative or indifferent.
As a protester in East Java explained, "I raise this flag because Luffy stands for what's right, even if the world is against him. That's how we feel right now."
Luffy's Straw Hat is no longer just a pirate flag, it's a message; a declaration that Indonesia's youth want to be heard. While some see it as a threat, others understand its deeper meaning: hope for justice, frustration with systemic failures, and the reclaiming of national identity through the unexpected lens of anime.
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