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

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

As rallies opposing the administration persist in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the energy of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement look on.

Blending humour and politics – an approach researchers term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in this period, embraced by various groups.

And one symbol has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It began after recordings of an encounter between a man in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to rallies across the country.

"There is much happening with that small inflatable frog," says an expert, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who focuses on creative activism.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by far-right groups during a previous presidential campaign.

As the meme gained popularity online, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to show support for a candidate, even one notable meme endorsed by the candidate personally, showing the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Users traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

But Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

Pepe first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his work, he stated the character came from his time with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to the nascent social web, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves that creators cannot own icons," states the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe meant that frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. A transformation occurred recently, when a confrontation between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment followed a decision to deploy military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and an agent used pepper spray at the individual, directing it into the opening of the costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, quipped, saying it tasted like "something milder". However, the video went viral.

The frog suit fit right in for Portland, famous for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which argued the use of troops was unlawful.

Although the court ruled that month that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning the protesters' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing opposition."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she wrote. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The order was stopped legally subsequently, and troops withdrew from the city.

However, by that time, the frog was now a significant protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit was spotted nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was sold out on online retailers, and rose in price.

Controlling the Optics

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to your ideas without directly articulating them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is three-fold, he says.

As activists confront authority, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences