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

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

As protests against the administration carry on in US cities, protesters are utilizing the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement look on.

Combining levity and political action – an approach experts call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of American protest in recent years, used by both left and right.

And one symbol has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It started after a video of an encounter between a protester in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to rallies throughout the United States.

"A great deal happening with that humble blow-up amphibian," notes LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who focuses on creative activism.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by far-right groups during an election cycle.

When the meme initially spread online, it was used to convey specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to express backing for a candidate, including one notable meme shared by that figure personally, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

However its beginnings were not so controversial.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his unhappiness for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his series.

The frog debuted in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which chronicles the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he explained his drawing came from his life with companions.

When he began, the artist tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows that creators cannot own icons," says the professor. "They transform and be repurposed."

For a long time, the notoriety of this meme meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. A transformation occurred recently, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

This incident occurred shortly after a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Activists began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, near a federal building.

The situation was tense and an agent used irritant at the individual, targeting the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The individual, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident became a sensation.

The frog suit fit right in for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, 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 the city, which claimed the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a judge decided in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits while voicing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The order was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

But by then, the amphibian costume was now a potent protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit was seen nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

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

Shaping the Visual Story

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights your ideas without explicitly stating them. It's the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.

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

"You could go back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The purpose of this approach is three-fold, he explains.

As protesters take on the state, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences