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

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

Whilst demonstrations against the leadership persist in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the vibe of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, as officers look on.

Combining humour and politics – a tactic experts term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of protests in the United States in recent years, embraced by various groups.

A specific icon has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It began after video footage of a clash between a protester in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. It subsequently appeared to rallies nationwide.

"There is much at play with that small inflatable frog," states LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who focuses on creative activism.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's challenging to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

Initially, when the character initially spread online, people used it to convey specific feelings. Later, its use evolved to show support for a political figure, including one notable meme shared by that figure personally, showing the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a coded signal.

However its beginnings were not so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

Pepe debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his work, he stated his drawing came from his time with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to the nascent social web, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves that we don't control icons," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

For a long time, the association of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with the right. But that changed recently, when an incident between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

This incident came just days after a decision to deploy military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer used irritant at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, quipped, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident spread everywhere.

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume became part of in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which argued the deployment was unlawful.

Although the court ruled in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "propensity for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The order was halted by courts subsequently, and personnel are said to have left the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a significant anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume appeared across the country at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

This item was sold out on major websites, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Narrative

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" display that draws focus to a cause without obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

As protesters confront the state, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences