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Why did Generation Z protesters use the Jolly Roger flag from One Piece?
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Generation Z protests
In Greek and Roman myth the old god consumes his children to preserve his power. In many countries today the young face a version of the same fate: priced out of housing, burdened by debt, and taxed to sustain the pensions and property wealth of older generations.
Generation Z protesters in various countries, including Nepal, Peru, and Mexico, adopted the Jolly Roger flag from the manga and anime series One Piece as a shared symbol of rebellion against corrupt authority.123
The flag serves as an allusion to the series' protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates. In the context of these protests, the imagery represents a rejection of entrenched political elites and unresponsive government systems. By utilizing this pop-culture symbol, young demonstrators have sought to express their disillusionment with traditional politics and their demand for accountability, security, and genuine political renewal in the face of systemic corruption and abuse of power.4123