PHOTO: Andrew Neel on Unsplash
A parliament burning. Protestors in the street. And hanging on top of the gates: a Jolly Roger flag with a Straw Hat.
This was the photo that swept social media in late 2025, as Gen Z protestors set fire to the Nepalese Parliament building and demanded the resignation of then Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. These demands came after government-corruption allegations, economic instability and a student-led protest ending with 74 dead.
The ‘Straw Hat’ Jolly Roger stems from the popular Japanese anime One Piece, and has become a symbol of defiance in protests across the globe; from Indonesia to Nepal to Madagascar. For many Gen Z protestors, flying the One Piece flag is much more than just sharing a love for anime. It is achieving the dream that is perpetuated by the show itself: the unwavering need to have true freedom.
The values that this rebellion symbol represents – freedom, liberation and fighting oppression – are able to transcend language and cultural barriers, simply through a shared appreciation of art.
If a humble anime can incite protests and real change across continents, it is undoubtable that art unites communities and inspires change.
However, the question must be asked: how truly relevant is art-inspired activism in an age of social media and globalisation?
Art, crime and justice
German philosopher Theodor Adorno famously praised the inherent political nature of art, declaring that “every work of art is an uncommitted crime” in his 1951 novel Minima Moralia: Reflections from Damaged Life. The underlying message is evident: art is a natural precursor to activism; it should inspire movement and change.
Art should not only allow us to think critically about society, but should galvanize radical action. If, according to Adorno, all art is ‘uncommitted’ crime, then it is our duty as observers to commit that ‘crime’, to pursue justice and condemn inequality regardless of what laws are broken in the process.
Protests are the vessel through which the voice of the people can be heard and justice demanded. Whether it is a single individual rallying against the system or an organised movement spanning transnational borders, protests have held a vital role in history – and still do today – of upholding the rights, freedoms and ideologies of the working class.
If the goal of protest is to correct injustices in the world, and the goal of art is to inspire activism, then it comes as no surprise that art-inspired protest is so prevalent in both history and the modern day.
From the Boston Massacre to Banksy: a history of art-inspired protest
Art-fuelled activism is not a new phenomenon, but rather one that has spanned centuries of freedom fighting and organised movements. One example of an art-inspired protest is the effectiveness of Paul Revere’s engraving, The Bloody Massacre in King Street in inciting protest and unrest after the Boston Massacre in 1770. Whilst the actual event could not be classified as a ‘massacre’ – with only five fatalities – Revere’s art depicted the British soldiers lined up in a firing line and point-blank killing Bostonian citizens. This provocative artwork was distributed around the colonies, and reinforced negative opinions of British colonial rule in America.
The outrage triggered by the artistic interpretation of the tragedy at Boston helped contribute to the American Revolution in 1775. Many historians classify the deaths at the Boston Massacre as the first tragedies of the Revolutionary War.
PHOTO: The Bloody Massacre in King Street by Paul Revere. Engraved, hand-coloured with watercolour, Wikimedia Commons
Emory Douglas’ Paperboy (1969) is another example of art blending with politics to inspire change. Utilising striking, clear cut imagery and ink on newspaper, Douglas’ artwork served to empower African-American communities in the 1970s under the political party ‘The Black Panther Party’. This medium inspired unity, empowerment and self-determination amongst both literate and illiterate Black communities.
The concept of art-fuelled protest movements – and the intersection of crime, art and justice – is also evident in the modern day, with guerilla artist Banksy as the most prominent example of art activism in the 21st century.
Echoing Adorno’s words in his famous mantra “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”, Banksy has become an anonymous internet sensation for his politically-charged and thought-provoking street art. Often appearing in crowded areas when the issue becomes most topical, Banksy utilizes stencils and print art – alongside a refusal to comment on the true intention of the art – to promote discussion and discourse.
Most recently, Banksy unveiled a mural in London of a bewigged High Court judge beating a protestor with a gavel. Painted shortly after 900 individuals were arrested in London for protesting Palestine Action’s ban, the mural was quickly covered by the High Court itself.
The ghostly imprint it left behind immediately sparked online discourse. The irony of the artwork was clear: they can try to take away our voice, but art – and its message – remains and endures.
Social media and celebrity-led activism
The platforming of communication has permanently altered the impact of activism. Social media has become vital to this new age of protest; from the way protest movements are organised and promoted, to the impact they have in a local, national and global capacity.
Banksy himself has over 14 million followers on Instagram which has enabled him to share his art and messages worldwide. Without the interconnected nature of social media, it is highly unlikely that Banksy’s work would be widely known, let alone spark rigorous debate and discussion.
The effectiveness of art to incite or inspire activism is thus – at least in the 21st century – contingent on social media for exposure.
This sentiment is evident in the prominence of the One Piece flag as a symbol of defiance. Whilst the anime itself was established before the Internet boom, it was not until social media that it left its “niche within a niche” status and reached the masses.
Similarly, social media played a vital role in the organisation of the Nepali protests, as it was through a Discord channel, Youths Against Corruption, that the primary protest was planned. Social media as a means of organising protests can be seen in other movements, including the Capitol Riots in 2021, where inflammatory posts from Donald Trump invited protestors to show up to the White House for a “wild time”.
Another noticeable shift in protest movements is the influence of celebrities in activism. Social media has made celebrities famous across the globe, allowing them to be placed on a virtual pedestal. As such, celebrity statements and endorsements on an issue hold greater weight than that of the average citizen.
Basically, when a celebrity acts in relation to an issue, people pay attention.
Cate Blanchett is one of the more recent examples in a long line of celebrities to leverage this. At the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Blanchett wore a black dress which, when the hem was lifted against the red carpet, formed an image reminiscent of the Palestinian flag. Whilst she declined to comment on the visual impact of the dress, pictures circulated around the Internet, provoking debate on if Blanchett truly did wear the dress as a symbol of pro-Palestine activism.
This amalgamation of art, activism, celebrity and social media can additionally be seen inthe Strokes’ final set at Week Two of Coachella 2026. For the first time in almost 20 years, the band performed their hit song Oblivius – in which the chorus demands “what side are you on” – whilst a video montage denouncing CIA and US foreign intervention played in the background. Video footage included accusations of CIA involvement in high profile political deaths, including former President of Guatemala Jacobo Árbenz and former President of Ecuador Jaime Roldós Aguilera, and concluded with footage of bombings in Gaza and the Middle East.
Similar to Blanchett’s stunt, footage of The Strokes’ Coachella set circulated TikTok and Instagram within minutes.
The immediate virality of these protests – both of which were enacted through art forms – implies that art and activism are still relevant in the social media era.
A new age of activism?
In its capacity to connect communities and cultures across the globe, in spite of language barriers and physical distance, social media has fundamentally changed the way in which we interact with activism and fight injustice.
That being said, the age of social media has not diminished the role of art in protest and activist movements. Rather, social media has enabled art to be widely appreciated and understood in ways that were not possible before the era of the Internet.
So, is art activism truly relevant in an age of social media and globalisation?
The answer, undoubtedly, is yes.
Without Banksy, without Cate Blanchett and the Strokes leveraging art to prompt discourse, discussions of Palestine, US-intervention and a crumbling judicial system would never have happened – at least not at the scale it has today.
Without the One Piece flag evoking ideals of freedom and justice for millions of Gen Z’s, Nepalese protests would never have triggered a wave of freedom movements in South East Asia, and true change may never have been felt.
Although the future of protests is unclear, the words of Adorno and Banksy still ring true. Activism should not be passive, and it should not be comfortable. Regardless of its organisation, endorsement or message, activism should promote change, thought and inspiration.
All art is uncommitted crime. And to refuse to take action, to ignore the message of the artwork, of the artist? That is a crime to humanity itself.
Ina Christensen
Ina is a second-year Science/Arts student majoring in Physiology and Media Communications. She first joined MIAS in 2025 to connect with others passionate about international relations, and has since represented Monash at NMUN Banff 2025. She is particularly interested in the representation of women in both broadcast and social media, and the role of social media in politics. In her free time, Ina loves singing, listening to musicals, crocheting and reading (fantasy, classics - anything really!).