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The protest movement won't be broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and large eyes.

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

As rallies against the leadership continue in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the energy of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement observe.

Blending levity and politics – a strategy experts call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a hallmark of protests in the United States in the current era, used by various groups.

A specific icon has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It originated when video footage of a clash between a protester in an inflatable frog and federal officers in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to protests across the country.

"There's a lot at play with that small blow-up amphibian," states a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on creative activism.

From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to discuss protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by far-right groups during a political race.

When this image first took off online, its purpose was to convey certain emotions. Afterwards, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, including a particular image shared by that figure himself, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

Yet Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

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

The frog debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which follows the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he said his drawing was inspired by his life with companions.

Early in his career, the artist experimented with sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that we don't control imagery," explains the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the popularity of Pepe meant that frogs became a symbol for the right. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland went viral.

The moment came just days after a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, near an ICE office.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer used irritant at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage went viral.

The frog suit was not too unusual for Portland, renowned for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a ruling was issued that month that the president had the right to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning demonstrators' "propensity for using unusual attire 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," Judge Susan Graber opined. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The action was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and troops are said to have left the area.

Yet already, the frog was now a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

This symbol was seen across the country at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and rose in price.

Shaping the Optics

The link between the two amphibian symbols – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" display that calls attention to your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the meme you share.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

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