Pop culture’s new place in protest

Pop culture has found a fresh resonance among Gen Z protesters with the manga “One Piece” and its political themes. 

By: Angel Martin, Opinion Editor

Caitlin Kimmick walks on the frontlines of No Kings Protest in Downtown LA on Alameda Street with a Straw Hat flag on March 28. (Angel Rangel for the Valley Star)

Over the past few months, a new prop, yielded by young protesters, has emerged around the world. A banner with a simple skull-and-bones bearing a straw hat, from the manga “One Piece," symbolising freedom and rebellion.

In the popular manga, the flag is used by the Straw Hat Pirates, a group of pirates all from varying parts of the world with different goals. Throughout the manga, the crew liberates kingdoms from corrupt leaders to protect the innocent, with the Straw Hat Pirates’ captain, Monkey D. Luffy, leading the way, representing freedom. Luffy wants to become the Pirate King — the title of the strongest pirate alive — and use this role to help others.

"I don't want to conquer anything,” Luffy says. “I just think that the guy with the most freedom in this whole ocean is the Pirate King.”

The flag was first used in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in October 2023 during a protest against the Gaza war. It soon became a demonstration symbol for Generation Z. Its popularity grew as a symbol of freedom during the August 2025 Indonesian protests as a way to fight back against the government.

“He just goes around and does whatever he wants, but also looks out for people around you,”

said Caitlin Kimmick, a protestor at the March 28 “No Kings” Downtown LA protest, commenting on Luffy’s relevance to Gen Z protestors. 

“One Piece” has been one of the longest ongoing manga with currently 1160 chapters in print and 1155 episodes on TV. It is loved for its unique cast, expansive world building, and stunning fights, but also its take on real-world struggles such as slavery, mental health and corrupt governments. In the world of “One Piece,” the Straw Hats fight against the world government, not because they are treasure-hungry, but because they want to rebel against a controlling power that restricts freedom. 

“There’s a character named Nico Robin who wanted them to leave her because she didn't want them to get hurt, so in return they burned the navy flag to show they don't care, they only care for their friends,” Ernesto Ortiz, a graphic design major at Valley College, said while discussing the series.

This isn’t the first time pop culture has been used in protests. One of the most popular examples of pop culture infiltrating protest is the three-finger salute from “The Hunger Games,” used by demonstrators in Thailand in an anti-coup protest in 2014, then once again in Myanmar in 2021 during a coup to show resistance against military authoritarianism. 

Meme culture has also been referenced in demonstrations. Pepe the Frog, a meme created by visual artist Matt Furie, was first used by far-right groups in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. This was until Oct. 2, 2025, in Portland, when a protester in an inflatable frog costume got sprayed with a chemical agent by ICE. After this incident, Pepe became an anti-ICE symbol. 

“Well, art is political; any kind of art sends out a message, so I think it's the right place because art is political,” said Ortiz.