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

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

Whilst rallies against the government carry on in US cities, protesters have embraced the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement watch.

Mixing humour and politics – an approach social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of protests in the United States in this period, used by various groups.

A specific icon has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It started when video footage of a confrontation between a man in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There is much at play with that small frog costume," notes LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on political performance.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by extremist movements throughout a political race.

Initially, when the meme first took off online, it was used to convey specific feelings. Subsequently, it was utilized to express backing for a candidate, including a particular image shared by the candidate personally, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

But its beginnings were not so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has stated about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

This character first appeared in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he said his drawing came from his time with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows the lack of control over symbols," explains Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when a confrontation between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident occurred shortly after a directive to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an ICE office.

Tensions were high and an agent sprayed irritant at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, quipped, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video spread everywhere.

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, known for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that embrace the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which contended the deployment was unlawful.

While the court ruled that month that the president had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes when expressing dissent."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she opined. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The action was stopped legally soon after, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had transformed into a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

The inflatable suit appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Optics

What brings the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that calls attention to a cause without needing obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

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

As activists confront a powerful opposition, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences