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This protest movement may not be broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and protruding eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

While rallies opposing the administration carry on in American cities, protesters are utilizing the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, as officers look on.

Mixing comedy and political action – a strategy social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a hallmark of American protest in the current era, used by both left and right.

And one symbol has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began after recordings of an encounter between a protester in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. And it has since spread to protests throughout the United States.

"There is much happening with that humble frog costume," says LM Bogad, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's challenging to examine demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by extremist movements during a previous presidential campaign.

When the character gained popularity online, its purpose was to signal certain emotions. Afterwards, it was utilized to endorse a political figure, even one notable meme endorsed by the candidate himself, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

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

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his disapproval for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

The frog first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he explained his drawing came from his life with companions.

Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves that we don't control imagery," explains Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

For a long time, the association of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. But that changed recently, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

This incident occurred shortly after a decision to send military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer used a chemical agent at a protester, directing it into the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "something milder". However, the video went viral.

The costume was somewhat typical for Portland, known for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume was also referenced in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although a judge decided in October that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "propensity for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The order was halted by courts subsequently, and personnel are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had become a potent protest icon for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit appeared across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was sold out on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Narrative

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that draws focus to your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad explains.

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