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The protest movement won't be televised, though it may feature webbed feet and large eyes.

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

While rallies against the administration persist in American cities, participants have embraced the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, as officers look on.

Combining humour and political action – a tactic experts term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of protests in the United States in recent years, used by both left and right.

A specific icon has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It originated when recordings of a confrontation between a protester in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There's a lot happening with that small frog costume," says an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by online communities throughout a political race.

As the character initially spread online, people used it to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, it was utilized to endorse a political figure, including one notable meme shared by that figure himself, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was deployed a shared phrase.

However its beginnings were not so controversial.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his unhappiness for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

Pepe debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he stated his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret 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.

Yet the frog persisted.

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

For a long time, the notoriety of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were largely associated with the right. A transformation occurred recently, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after a directive to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and a officer used pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident spread everywhere.

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

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

Although a ruling was issued in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits while voicing opposition."

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she stated. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The order was stopped legally just a month later, and troops are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had transformed into a powerful symbol of resistance for the left.

The costume was seen nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

This item was backordered on major websites, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Narrative

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" display that draws focus to a message without obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

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