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The protest movement won't be broadcast, yet it might possess amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

Whilst rallies against the administration continue in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the vibe of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered dance instruction, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, as officers look on.

Combining humour and political action – a tactic researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in this period, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It originated when recordings of a clash between a man in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to protests nationwide.

"A great deal going on with that little blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on performance art.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by online communities during a political race.

As the meme gained popularity online, people used it to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme retweeted by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", became a coded signal.

However its beginnings were not this divisive.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has stated about his disapproval for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

Pepe debuted in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he said his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows the lack of control over symbols," says the professor. "They transform and be reworked."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe meant that frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. A transformation occurred recently, when an incident between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

This incident occurred shortly after a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to gather in droves at a specific location, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an agent deployed a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

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

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume was also referenced in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The order was halted by courts soon after, and personnel are said to have left the city.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a potent protest icon for progressive movements.

This symbol was seen across the country at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

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

Mastering the Optics

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that draws focus to a message without needing explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume used, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

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

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