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5 min read
France’s student protests over education and economic hardship have taken a unique turn as Gen Z demonstrators blend activism with anime culture. Using One Piece flags, Jujutsu Kaisen memes and cosplay, young protesters are using internet humour to build community and express defiance.
France’s student protests have taken an unexpected turn as young demonstrators are bringing One Piece, Naruto, Dragon Ball and Jujutsu Kaisen references to the streets.
Be it the Straw Hat Pirates’ iconic flag or Gojo Satoru memes and cosplay, anime culture is dominating the Gen Z protests and demonstrations. It shows how the youngsters are blending political expression with internet humour and fandom. Protesters are now even saying, “The world will be saved by Otakus.”
The protests have centred on concerns about education, school conditions, public services and economic hardship. As the movement has gained momentum, the visual identity has increasingly surprised the world. Even the French newspapers reported about Gen Z’s protest culture, highlighting how memes, pop-culture references and inventive slogans are helping young demonstrators build a sense of community.
One Piece’s Straw Hat flag becomes a symbol of resistance
One of the most recognisable symbols appearing at the demonstrations is the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hat Pirates from One Piece. It features a skull wearing a straw hat and the flag belongs to Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, whose adventures revolve around freedom, friendship and challenging powerful authorities.
Anime characters take over the streets
The anime culture goes beyond flags. Young demonstrators have incorporated costumes, character references and internet jokes into the protests, giving the gatherings a distinctly Gen-Z aesthetic. A X user noted, “France has assembled the anime Avengers.”
France has assembled the Anime avengers https://t.co/8wsR5TNGv4
— unonumero56 (@unonumero_56) October 17, 2026
Students have embraced playful performances and online trends, transforming parts of the protest scene into spaces where activism and youth culture intersect. One post states, “Anime characters were spotted at the protests. From Goku, Luffy, Piccolo, more…fans showed up in cosplay and brought their favourite characters into real life.”
フランス全土の抗議デモ。若い参加者たちが『NARUTO』のオビトの仮面、『ドラゴンボール』の「かめはめ波」ポーズ、『ONE PIECE』の旗や映像といったポップカルチャーのシンボルで意思を示しました。同日の内務省発表によると、全国で約1200人が拘束され、警察官150人以上が負傷。#フランス #デモ https://t.co/WAlgGoLHlG
— ParsToday Japanese (@ParsTodayja) October 18, 2026
‘Nah, we’d win’: Gojo memes bring anime humour to the movement
Another recognisable reference for anime fans is the viral “Nah, I’d win” catchphrase associated with Satoru Gojo fromJujutsu Kaisen. The phrase, widely circulated through memes, has become shorthand for unshakable confidence and refusing to back down from a challenge.
Ils ont appeler Gojo Satoru pour la manif 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
— 𝔄𝔫𝔞𝔰 𝔩𝔢 𝔤𝔬𝔞𝔱 (@anaselfuego) October 17, 2026
In the context of protests, Gojo references fit naturally into a culture where students use internet humour to communicate defiance and solidarity. Anime memes can make a serious political moment more relatable to younger audiences without requiring broad explanations.
The appeal is also rooted in how Gen Z communicates online. A user mentioned online that it is “the ultimate crossover.”
‘Start of a new anime arc’: How are the internet users reacting?
Anime’s presence in the demonstrations reflects the growing overlap between fandom and political expression. One user called the French “visionaries” and another wrote, “The world will be saved by Otakus.”
The protesters even made an anime-type opening for the October 17 protest. It included, “references, the editing, the music EVERYTHING IS LEGENDARY.” The user even added, “It feels like the start of a new anime arc FRANCE IS TRULY THE LAND OF ENTERTAINMENT.”
JE SUIS EN LARMES SMR 😭😭😭 ILS ONT VRAIMENT FAIT UN OPENING POUR LE 17 OCTOBRE PTDRRRR les références, le montage, la musique TOUT EST LÉGENDAIRE MDRRRR on dirait le début d’un nouvel arc d’animé LA FRANCE EST VRAIMENT LE PAYS DU DIVERTISSEMENT https://t.co/WH2rXJR3Z7
— Bilal 🇩🇿 (@BiarusZ) October 18, 2026
We can now strongly suggest that France has quite literally formed the “Memevengers.”
Listen up…We are overlooking SUCH a big narrative here when it comes to the France riots French people ARE FIGHTING BACK WITH MEMES/FAMOUS ANIME CHARACTERS/STAR WARS/MEME CHARACTERS This is the first time in history a collective of people have grouped together to use memes to defeat the system IRL Like they are legit taking the piss at this point They have quite literally formed the “Memevengers” Captain America: https://t.co/PTfES2DiWADarth Vader: https://t.co/zbHMf74EbzOne piece: https://t.co/lgk4BGvf59Dragon ball: https://t.co/co26IoLuEdObiwan: https://t.co/N1uyQvdtCMDoctor Pigeon:https://t.co/vtkk8HwSXN
— AJ (@Stally_P) October 18, 2026
Protests turn violent but anime fans are not responsible for the wider unrest
The protests and demonstrations on October 17 also saw serious violence, with clashes, arson and looting reported in several French cities. In its October 18 coverage, Le Monde reported that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu gave a provisional tally of 1,200 arrests and 150 injured law enforcement officers following the unrest.
The demonstrations have brought together participants with different motivations, and the actions of violent groups should not be attributed to anime fans as a whole. Gen Z is using the cultural language it knows best to express frustration, build solidarity and attract attention.
🇫🇷🔥 ANIME CHARACTERS ARE BECOMING SYMBOLS OF GEN Z RESISTANCE IN FRANCE!France’s ongoing student protests are taking an unexpected cultural turn, with young demonstrators embracing anime characters as part of their protest identity. https://t.co/lGFFiRR48V
— Anime Spotlight (@AnimeSpotlightt) October 18, 2026
Behind the memes and cosplay, however, are students raising concerns about their education, their future and whether those in power are listening.
