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This protest movement won't be televised, though it may feature webbed feet and protruding eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst protests opposing the administration persist in US cities, participants have embraced the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, as armed law enforcement observe.

Combining levity and politics – an approach researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of protests in the United States in recent years, used by both left and right.

A specific icon has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It started when recordings of a clash between an individual in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in the city of Portland, went viral. From there, it proliferated to protests throughout the United States.

"A great deal going on with that small inflatable frog," notes a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

From Pepe to Portland

It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by extremist movements during a political race.

As this image first took off online, it was used to convey specific feelings. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, even a particular image shared by that figure himself, portraying the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used a coded signal.

Yet Pepe didn't start out as a political symbol.

Its creator, the illustrator, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

This character debuted in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and notable for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he said the character came from his life with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to new websites, where people online 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, including ending its life in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves the lack of control over imagery," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Previously, the notoriety of this meme meant that frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when an incident between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event occurred shortly after an order to send military personnel to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and a officer sprayed irritant at the individual, targeting the opening of the costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video spread everywhere.

The costume fit right in for Portland, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which claimed the deployment was unlawful.

While a judge decided that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning demonstrators' "known tendency for using unusual attire when expressing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she stated. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The action was halted by courts soon after, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

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

The costume appeared in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities 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 – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a cause without obviously explaining them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a text on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

When activists take on authority, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences