Indonesians fly anime pirate flag in Independence Day protest

The flag from Japanese anime One Piece has become an unlikely symbol of defiance in Indonesia, prompting warnings of ‘criminal consequences’

As Indonesia prepares to mark its 80th Independence Day, a new symbol of resistance has emerged – not from the pages of history, but from the world of Japanese anime.

Traditionally, the nation’s red-and-white flag adorns homes, vehicles and public spaces in the lead-up to the national holiday.

But this year, many Indonesians have chosen to raise The Jolly Roger pirate flag from the Japanese anime series One Piece in an act of defiance.

The fictional skull-and-crossbones, topped with main character Monkey D. Luffy’s signature straw hat, now decorates everything from doorways to flagpoles across the archipelago, according to the Jakarta Post newspaper, in a phenomenon that has unsettled government officials ahead of the country’s most important civic celebration.

On social media, some Indonesians decided to explain the trend. “The red-and-white flag is too sacred for us to raise right now, at a time when many people are still colonised by those in power,” one user posted on Thursday, calling the One Piece flag “the spirit of resistance against injustice” that persists in the country.

The trend gained momentum in the wake of President Prabowo Subianto’s call for citizens to fly the national flag throughout August, according to Farhan Rizqullah, writing on the Medium publishing platform.

“For many citizens, that call for national pride rang hollow. They saw it as a demand for performative patriotism from a government whose policies they felt were failing the people, especially the lower classes,” he wrote. “So, they responded with a symbol of their own.”

In One Piece, the Straw Hat Pirates’ banner stands as a beacon of freedom and opposition to tyranny – a parallel not lost on those choosing to fly it now.

The official response has ranged from cautious acceptance to calls for punitive action. Deddy Yevri Sitorus, an MP from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, told the Jakarta Globe that flying the flag “should be seen as a public expression of criticism, which is part of a democratic society”.

“This kind of symbolic action is better than street protests that could turn violent,” he added.

Deputy Home Affairs Minister Bima Arya Sugiarto echoed this sentiment, calling the movement “a form of expression”. “In my view, such a form of expression is a natural phenomenon in a democracy, as long as it does not contradict the constitution,” he told the Antara news agency on Saturday, adding that Indonesia’s national flag must remain paramount.

Others have taken a harder line. Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, warned that the Jolly Roger flag could be used “to sow division in the unity and integrity” of the nation, citing security reports, according to Tempo magazine.

There is no article that prohibits people from raising flags … We reject the labelling of subversionKharik Anhar, resident of Indonesia’ Riau province

On Friday, Coordinating Politics and Security Minister Budi Gunawan cautioned that those flying the One Piece flag on August 17, Indonesia’s Independence Day, could face “criminal consequences”. He referenced a 2009 law criminalising insults to the national flag, the Jakarta Post reported.

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Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai added on Sunday that the government “reserves the right” to ban the flag, warning it could constitute a legal violation or even sedition if flown alongside the national flag.

“I hope that the people understand that this prohibition is for the sake of national unity and integrity during a historical moment, such as the Independence Day commemoration,” he told Antara.

For many Indonesians, however, the trend has sparked debate rather than controversy.

In Riau province, resident Kharik Anhar dismissed the uproar. “There is no article that prohibits people from raising flags of characters, football clubs, or animations at home or in vehicles,” he told Tempo on Sunday.

He described the One Piece flag as an expression of public disappointment with the government, calling official efforts to ban it excessive. “We reject the labelling of subversion against the people’s creativity,” he said.