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This protest movement isn't broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and large eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or the plumage of a chicken.

While rallies against the government continue in American cities, participants are utilizing the vibe of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, distributed snacks, and ridden unicycles, as officers look on.

Blending humour and political action – a tactic social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a hallmark of American protest in the current era, used by various groups.

One particular emblem has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It originated when recordings of an encounter between a man in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations across the country.

"There is much at play with that small inflatable frog," says a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on performance art.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's hard to discuss protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by far-right groups during a previous presidential campaign.

As the meme first took off on the internet, it was used to signal certain emotions. Subsequently, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, including a particular image retweeted by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", became an inside joke.

However its beginnings were not so controversial.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has expressed about his unhappiness for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

Pepe first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he said his drawing came from his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried uploading his work to new websites, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows the lack of control over icons," states Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

Until recently, the association of Pepe resulted in frogs became a symbol for the right. But that changed in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

This incident occurred shortly after an order to send the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, near an ICE office.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer sprayed pepper spray at a protester, directing it into the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, quipped, saying it tasted like "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for Portland, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol even played a role in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the use of troops was illegal.

Although a judge decided that month that the president had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, mentioning the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes when expressing opposition."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she opined. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The order was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume was seen across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on major websites, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Visual Story

What brings both frogs together – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that highlights a message without obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and an experienced participant. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad explains.

As protesters take on authority, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences