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The protest movement isn't televised, though it may feature webbed feet and protruding eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst protests against the administration persist in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the vibe of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, while police look on.

Blending humour and political action – an approach researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of protests in the United States in this period, embraced by various groups.

One particular emblem has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It started when a video of a confrontation between an individual in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to protests across the country.

"A great deal at play with that small inflatable frog," notes a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to discuss protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by online communities throughout an election cycle.

Initially, when the character gained popularity on the internet, it was used to express certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, even one notable meme endorsed by that figure himself, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

However Pepe didn't start out as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his distaste for its co-option. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

This character debuted in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he said the character was inspired by his life with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves that we don't control symbols," says the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the association of this meme meant that frogs became a symbol for the right. But that changed recently, when an incident between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment followed a directive to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and a officer used pepper spray at a protester, targeting the opening of the inflatable suit.

The protester, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, stating it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, known for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which contended the use of troops was unlawful.

Although the court ruled that month that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The deployment was stopped legally subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the city.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a powerful protest icon for progressive movements.

This symbol appeared across the country at No Kings protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on major websites, and rose in price.

Shaping the Visual Story

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

The strategy relies on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" display that calls attention to your ideas without obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

The idea of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

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