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Once a playful manga emblem, the One Piece straw-hat skull is surfacing at protests worldwide, from Indonesia's 2023 Gaza rallies to youth movements in Nepal and Madagascar that helped topple a government. Now it is appearing in U.S. demonstrations against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and Gaza policy, with sightings in New York, Los Angeles, and Austin, and expectations it could appear at roughly 2,600 No Kings rallies. Scholars say Gen Z's meme-driven politics have turned the flag into an anonymous banner of defiance, raising fears it is hard to negotiate with or contain.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.