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The protest movement won't be broadcast, but it could have amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

Whilst demonstrations against the government carry on in American cities, protesters have embraced the spirit of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement look on.

Combining comedy and politics – a tactic researchers call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of US demonstrations in this period, adopted by both left and right.

One particular emblem has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It originated after a video of an encounter between a protester in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations across the country.

"A great deal happening with that little frog costume," notes an expert, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who specialises in political performance.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by online communities during an election cycle.

Initially, when this image gained popularity online, it was used to signal certain emotions. Later, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, even one notable meme endorsed by the candidate himself, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used an inside joke.

However its beginnings were not this divisive.

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

The frog first appeared in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which chronicles the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he said his drawing was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that creators cannot own icons," states Prof Bogad. "They transform and be repurposed."

Previously, the popularity of this meme meant that frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when a confrontation between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event came just days after an order to send the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves at a specific location, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and a officer sprayed irritant at a protester, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for the city, known for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the deployment overstepped authority.

While a judge decided in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes while voicing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The action was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the frog had transformed into a potent protest icon for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was spotted nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was sold out on major websites, and rose in price.

Controlling the Optics

The link between the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that highlights a message without needing explicitly stating them. It's the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a text 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 a layer of protection."

The idea of such tactics is three-fold, he says.

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