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

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

As protests against the leadership persist in US cities, protesters are utilizing the vibe of a local block party. They've offered salsa lessons, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, as police look on.

Blending levity and politics – a strategy experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of American protest in recent years, adopted by various groups.

A specific icon has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It originated after a video of a clash between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in the city of Portland, spread online. And it has since spread to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot at play with that little frog costume," states an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies creative activism.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by far-right groups throughout a political race.

Initially, when the meme initially spread on the internet, people used it to convey certain emotions. Subsequently, it was utilized to express backing for a political figure, even one notable meme retweeted by the candidate personally, portraying the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a shared phrase.

But Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his distaste for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

This character debuted in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. A film, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he explained the character was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows the lack of control over imagery," explains the professor. "They transform and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the popularity of Pepe meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. But that changed in early October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event followed a decision to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to congregate on a single block, near an ICE office.

The situation was tense and a officer deployed pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

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

While the court ruled in October that the administration had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge wrote. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had transformed into a significant anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume appeared across the country at No Kings protests that fall. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The inflatable suit was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings the two amphibian symbols – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy is based on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" display that calls attention to your ideas without obviously explaining them. This is the goofy costume used, or the meme circulated.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The purpose of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

As protesters take on a powerful opposition, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences