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This protest movement may not be televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and large eyes.

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

Whilst protests opposing the government carry on in American cities, demonstrators are utilizing the spirit of a community costume parade. They've offered dance instruction, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers look on.

Combining comedy and political action – an approach experts term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of US demonstrations in the current era, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started when video footage of an encounter between an individual in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. From there, it proliferated to rallies throughout the United States.

"There's a lot happening with that humble frog costume," states LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who focuses on creative activism.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by extremist movements throughout a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when the character first took off on the internet, people used it to convey specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, including a particular image endorsed by that figure personally, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became an inside joke.

Yet Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has expressed about his distaste for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

Pepe first appeared in an online comic in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he said his drawing was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew into darker parts of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that we don't control icons," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reworked."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme meant that frogs became a symbol for the right. This shifted in early October, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The event came just days after a decision to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to gather in droves on a single block, near a federal building.

The situation was tense and an agent deployed pepper spray at the individual, directing it into the air intake fan of the costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, quipped, remarking he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for Portland, famous for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which argued the use of troops was unlawful.

While a judge decided that month that the administration had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she stated. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The action was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the area.

But by then, the frog had become a significant symbol of resistance for the left.

This symbol was seen in many cities at No Kings protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Optics

What brings both frogs together – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to a message without needing directly articulating them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme you share.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"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 a layer of protection."

The purpose of this approach is three-fold, he says.

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