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The protest movement may not be broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

Whilst demonstrations against the administration persist in American cities, participants have embraced the spirit of a local block party. They've provided salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement watch.

Blending humour and political action – a tactic researchers call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in recent years, used by various groups.

And one symbol has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It began after recordings of an encounter between a protester in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations nationwide.

"A great deal at play with that little frog costume," says a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by extremist movements during a political race.

As the character initially spread on the internet, people used it to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, including one notable meme shared by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Participants traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

But the character did not originate as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

This character first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he explained his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows the lack of control over symbols," says Prof Bogad. "They transform and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when an incident between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

This incident came just days after a directive to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to congregate at a specific location, near a federal building.

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

The individual, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident spread everywhere.

The frog suit fit right in for Portland, known for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that delight in the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol was also referenced in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which claimed the deployment was illegal.

While a judge decided in October that the administration had the right to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge stated. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The action was halted by courts soon after, and personnel withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a potent anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume appeared across the country 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 global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was backordered on major websites, and rose in price.

Shaping the Optics

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy is based on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', 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 idea of this approach is three-fold, he explains.

As activists confront authority, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences