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This protest movement isn't televised, though it may feature webbed feet and large eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst demonstrations opposing the administration carry on in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided salsa lessons, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, while police watch.

Blending comedy and politics – a strategy experts term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of American protest in recent years, used by various groups.

A specific icon has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It started after a video of a clash between an individual in a frog suit and ICE agents in the city of Portland, spread online. And it has since spread to protests nationwide.

"There is much at play with that humble frog costume," says a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies creative activism.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by online communities throughout a previous presidential campaign.

As this image initially spread online, its purpose was to express certain emotions. Subsequently, it was utilized to express backing for a political figure, including one notable meme endorsed by the candidate himself, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and established digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used a shared phrase.

However Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his unhappiness for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

Pepe debuted in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which chronicles the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he explained his drawing was inspired by his life with companions.

Early in his career, the artist experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that creators cannot own imagery," explains the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe meant that frogs were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when an incident between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident followed a decision to send the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate at a specific location, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and a officer deployed a chemical agent at a protester, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

The costume was somewhat typical for Portland, renowned for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that embrace the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which argued the deployment overstepped authority.

While a judge decided that month that the administration had the right to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "propensity for donning inflatable costumes while voicing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber opined. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and troops are said to have left the city.

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

The inflatable suit appeared nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and rose in price.

Shaping the Optics

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" display that highlights a message without needing directly articulating them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The theory of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

As activists confront authority, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences