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This protest movement isn't broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and large eyes.

Additionally, it could include a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

While rallies against the leadership continue in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the spirit of a local block party. They've provided dance instruction, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement observe.

Combining humour and politics – a tactic social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of American protest in recent years, embraced by both left and right.

And one symbol has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It originated when recordings of a confrontation between a man in an inflatable frog and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. It subsequently appeared to rallies across the country.

"There's a lot going on with that small frog costume," says a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies political performance.

The Path From Pepe to Portland

It is difficult to examine protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by extremist movements during a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when this image gained popularity online, it was used to express certain emotions. Later, it was deployed to endorse a political figure, even one notable meme retweeted by that figure himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used a shared phrase.

But its beginnings were not so controversial.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his series.

The frog debuted in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he explained his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to the nascent social web, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of the internet, the creator sought to reject his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own icons," says the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the notoriety of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. This shifted on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The event followed a directive to deploy military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Tensions were high and a officer used irritant at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, quipped, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

The costume fit right in for the city, renowned for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which contended the use of troops was illegal.

While the court ruled in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning the protesters' "known tendency for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she stated. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel withdrew from the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had transformed into a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit appeared across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Visual Story

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a cause without needing obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

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