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This protest movement may not be broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and bulging eyes.

Additionally, it could include a unicorn's horn or the plumage of a chicken.

Whilst protests opposing the leadership continue in American cities, participants are utilizing the vibe of a community costume parade. They've provided dance instruction, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, as armed law enforcement observe.

Blending levity and politics – a strategy researchers term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of protests in the United States in this period, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It started when video footage of an encounter between an individual in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to demonstrations across the country.

"A great deal happening with that humble frog costume," notes a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's hard to examine demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by extremist movements during an election cycle.

As the character first took off online, people used it to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, it was utilized to endorse a candidate, including a particular image endorsed by that figure himself, showing the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was deployed an inside joke.

Yet the character did not originate as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his disapproval for its co-option. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

The frog debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which chronicles the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he stated his drawing came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over symbols," states the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. This shifted recently, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The moment followed a directive to send the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and a officer sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, directing it into the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video became a sensation.

The frog suit was not too unusual for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which contended the deployment overstepped authority.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and troops have reportedly departed the city.

But by then, the amphibian costume was now a potent symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The costume was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests last autumn. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Optics

What brings the two amphibian symbols – lies in the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He authored a book on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

The theory of such tactics is multi-faceted, he explains.

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