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This protest movement isn't televised, but it could have amphibious toes and large eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

Whilst protests against the leadership continue in US cities, protesters are utilizing the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided dance instruction, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers watch.

Mixing humour and politics – a strategy social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of protests in the United States in recent years, used by both left and right.

A specific icon has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It originated after video footage of a clash between a man in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. From there, it proliferated to rallies across the country.

"A great deal at play with that humble frog costume," states a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on creative activism.

From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by extremist movements throughout a previous presidential campaign.

When this image gained popularity online, its purpose was to convey specific feelings. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, even a particular image retweeted by that figure himself, portraying the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, as a hate group member. Users traded "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed an inside joke.

But Pepe didn't start out as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his disapproval for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which follows Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his creation, he said the character came from his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves that we don't control imagery," says Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when an incident between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The event occurred shortly after a directive to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, near an ICE office.

Tensions were high and a officer sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video spread everywhere.

The frog suit fit right in for the city, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which claimed the deployment was illegal.

While a judge decided in October that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The order was stopped legally subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the city.

Yet already, the frog had become a powerful symbol of resistance for the left.

This symbol was seen in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Optics

What brings both frogs together – is the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that highlights a message without obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

The purpose of such tactics is three-fold, he says.

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