praypainting brick walls in an empty yard, 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 country 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 Independence Day on August 17.
Some officials have lambasted the sign, with a member of the House of Representatives saying it was akin to treason. President Prabowo Subianto’s office said that while the country respects freedom of expression and criticism, the sign could undermine the national flag if flown side by side.
Kemas, 28, a mural artist in West Java’s Bekasi district, said he was painting the pirate sign as a form of protest against government corruption and unemployment.
“Many Indonesians are hoisting the ‘One Piece’ flag because they want the government to listen to them,” Kemas said in an interview while drawing his mural, which shared some design elements of the official logo for Indonesia’s 80th anniversary.
Law enforcement agencies have been cracking down on the pirate flag ahead of independence day.
The Jolly Roger skull and bones with a straw hat has been also fluttering from a rising number of trucks, cars and homes.
