Madagascar: Gen Z protesters united by an anime pirate flag are challenging governments around the world

The president of Madagascar has been ousted in a military coup after a weekslong uprising by Gen Z protesters whose outrage is being felt in countries around the world — and expressed through a common, anime-inspired symbol

The president of Madagascar has been ousted in a military coup after a weekslong uprising by Gen Z protesters whose outrage is being felt in countries around the world — and expressed through a common, anime-inspired symbol.

The military in the Indian Ocean nation took power Tuesday right after lawmakers voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina, who said Monday night in a speech from an undisclosed location that he had fled the country in fear for his life after an elite military unit joined the protesters.

It’s the second government Gen Z protesters have toppled in just over a month, after the prime minister of Nepal resigned last month in the face of protests set off by outrage over a social media ban.

A protester holding a flag bearing the logo of the popular Japanese manga “One Piece,” a symbol adopted by Gen Z protest movements worldwide, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, last week.Luis Tato / AFP via Getty ImagesYoung people angered by economic hardship, official corruption and perceived injustice have been central players in a recent wave of anti-government protests around the world, including in Indonesia, the Philippines, East Timor, Peru and Morocco.

Despite being scattered across oceans and continents, the protests are connected by the frequent appearance of the same emblem: a pirate flag from a globally popular Japanese anime series.