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This protest movement won't be broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

Whilst rallies against the government persist in US cities, participants are utilizing the vibe of a local block party. They've provided salsa lessons, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement watch.

Mixing humour and political action – an approach social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of US demonstrations in the current era, used by various groups.

One particular emblem has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began when a video of a confrontation between a man in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. And it has since spread to rallies nationwide.

"A great deal going on with that humble inflatable frog," notes an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies political performance.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to examine protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups throughout a political race.

When the meme first took off online, people used it to convey certain emotions. Afterwards, its use evolved to endorse a political figure, even a particular image shared by that figure personally, showing the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

However its beginnings were not so controversial.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his distaste for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

Pepe first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he stated the character was inspired by his time with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own icons," states the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Previously, the popularity of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to the right. But that changed recently, when an incident between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment occurred shortly after a decision to send the National Guard to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an agent used a chemical agent at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, stating it tasted like "something milder". But the incident went viral.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for Portland, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which claimed the deployment overstepped authority.

While a ruling was issued that month that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The order was halted by courts just a month later, and troops are said to have left the area.

Yet already, the amphibian costume was now a significant symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The costume was spotted across the country at No Kings protests that fall. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and rose in price.

Mastering the Visual Story

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that calls attention to a cause without needing directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit used, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The theory of such tactics is multi-faceted, he explains.

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