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View all search resultsPirate anime flag becomes tool of protest ahead of Independence Day
Ahead of Independence Day, a flag from a popular Japanese anime One Piece has reportedly been spotted in various spots and events instead of the national flag, which has prompted the government’s ire.
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Illustration of a pirate flag from Japanese anime One Piece. (Shutterstock/Fahmi Syauki)
T
he red-and-white national flag is a common feature to be found ahead of the country’s Independence Day, adorning roads and houses across the country.
But this year, a flag from a popular Japanese anime One Piece has reportedly been spotted in various spots and events instead of the national flag, which has prompted the government’s ire.
The “Jolly Roger” pirate flag, showcasing a skull with a straw hat on a black background, has been touted by social media users as a symbol of their discontent at the state of Indonesia’s democracy, amid various issues currently ailing the country.
“The red-and-white flag is too sacred for us to raise right now, at a time when many people are still colonized by those in power,” an X user posted last Thursday.
The user added that the One Piece flag represented “the spirit of resistance against injustice” that mars the country.
The sentiment was shared by thousands of other social media users, one of whom also recreated the 80th Independence Day logo in the style of the One Piece flag.
The movement has since prompted stern reactions from the government and the House of Representatives, who deemed the flying of the flag it a “provocative” act that attempts to fragment Indonesia’s unity.
