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The protest movement may not be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

While rallies against the administration persist in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, as officers observe.

Combining humour and politics – a tactic social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of protests in the United States in recent years, used by both left and right.

A specific icon has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began after video footage of a clash between a protester in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There's a lot at play with that little inflatable frog," states an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who focuses on performance art.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to talk about protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by far-right groups during an election cycle.

When the character gained popularity online, people used it to express certain emotions. Afterwards, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, including one notable meme shared by that figure himself, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in offensive ways, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

But Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

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

Pepe debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he stated his drawing came from his life with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows the lack of control over symbols," states the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Previously, the popularity of this meme meant that frogs were predominantly linked to the right. But that changed recently, when a viral moment between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland captured global attention.

The moment came just days after a decision to send military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to congregate on a single block, near an ICE office.

The situation was tense and a officer sprayed irritant at the individual, directing it into the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The costume was somewhat typical for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the absurd – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

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

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge stated. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the frog had become a potent protest icon for the left.

The costume was spotted 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 like Tokyo and London.

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

Mastering the Narrative

What brings both frogs together – is the relationship between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy is based on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to a cause without needing obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

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

The theory of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

As activists take on authority, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences