September 22, 2025
MANILA – Seen in the streets of Paris, in the violent protests of Nepal and Indonesia, and now in the hands of Filipinos, a familiar pirate flag is becoming a rising symbol for protests worldwide.
It doesn’t only symbolize “One Piece,” Japan’s bestselling manga, but freedom and independence from oppressive governments. The Straw Hat Pirates’ flag is a call to resist injustice, and is the coat of arms of one of anime’s most famous protagonists, Monkey D. Luffy.
And if anything, a free-spirited revolutionary—animated or not—seems to be a better role model for the youth than most politicians out there.
READ: Live updates: Sept. 21 protests vs corruption
“This is a symbol of warning for the government, so they have to look at their people,” says mural artist Emas Muhammad Firdaus in a video by CNN correspondent Hanako Montgomery.
The French took to the streets in response to unpopular budget cuts proposed by the Macron administration. The Nepalese, on the other hand, set fire to government buildings and forced Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli to resign after her administration enforced a countrywide social media ban. Meanwhile, Indonesia faced a tipping point after Indonesian politicians received a $3,000 housing allowance despite a struggling economy.
Here, rage and dissent arose in light of the billions of pesos stolen in the form of unfinished and ghost flood control projects.
The reasons for protesting may be different from one country to another, but the message is the same: Listen and make changes before we do it for you. The Nepalese have done it. And as much as the rule of law should take precedence in the face of peaceful protests, continued inaction in light of these is simply asking for it.