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This protest movement won't be broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

As rallies against the government continue in US cities, participants are adopting the energy of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement observe.

Combining levity and politics – a strategy experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. 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 proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It started when a video of an encounter between a man in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, went viral. It subsequently appeared to rallies throughout the United States.

"A great deal at play with that little inflatable frog," states a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when this image gained popularity on the internet, it was used to express certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to endorse a political figure, including one notable meme retweeted by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

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

Its creator, the illustrator, has stated about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he stated his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows the lack of control over symbols," explains the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

For a long time, the association of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery were largely associated with the right. A transformation occurred recently, when an incident between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The moment occurred shortly after a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to congregate at a specific location, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and a officer sprayed pepper spray at a protester, aiming directly into the opening of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, saying it tasted like "something milder". However, the video became a sensation.

The frog suit was not too unusual for the city, known for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which claimed the use of troops overstepped authority.

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

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she opined. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The action was stopped legally just a month later, and personnel withdrew from the area.

Yet already, the frog was now a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The costume was spotted nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Optics

What brings the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a message without needing directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

As protesters take on a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences