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

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

While protests opposing the leadership persist in US cities, protesters are utilizing the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught salsa lessons, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers look on.

Blending levity and political action – an approach social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of protests in the United States in this period, embraced by both left and right.

And one symbol has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It originated when video footage of a clash between an individual in a frog suit and ICE agents in the city of Portland, spread online. And it has since spread to rallies across the country.

"A great deal going on with that small inflatable frog," says an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in political performance.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by extremist movements throughout a political race.

Initially, when the character initially spread on the internet, it was used to signal certain emotions. Subsequently, it was deployed to show support for a political figure, including a particular image retweeted by that figure personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Participants traded "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became a shared phrase.

Yet the character did not originate this divisive.

Its creator, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his work, he explained his drawing came from his life with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates that we don't control icons," states Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The event occurred shortly after a directive to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and a officer deployed a chemical agent at a protester, directing it into the opening of the costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident went viral.

The frog suit fit right in for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and the city, which contended the deployment was illegal.

While a judge decided in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits while voicing their disagreement."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The action was stopped legally subsequently, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had become a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

This symbol appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Optics

What brings the two amphibian symbols – is the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that calls attention to a cause without explicitly stating them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

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