Manga pirate sign a protest symbol

'One Piece' flag has dominated Indonesian social media, and its popularity follows student rallies, write Yuddy Cahya Budiman and Budi Purwanto

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Spraypainting brick walls in an empty yard, Indonesian artist Kemas Muhammad Firdaus braved midday heat to paint a skull in a straw hat on a black background, a nod to the Japanese manga series One Piece about treasure-hunting pirates.

Over the past month, students and activists in the world’s third-largest democracy Indonesia have put up the pirate sign used by One Piece character Monkey D Luffy as a symbol of protest against several government policies ahead of the country’s Independence Day on Aug 17.

Some officials have lambasted the sign, with a member of parliament saying it was akin to treason.