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The protest movement may not be broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

Whilst rallies against the administration persist in US cities, protesters have embraced the spirit of a community costume parade. They've offered dance instruction, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, while officers observe.

Blending levity and political action – a strategy social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of American protest in the current era, embraced by both left and right.

One particular emblem has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It began when recordings of a clash between an individual in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot going on with that little frog costume," notes a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies creative activism.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by extremist movements throughout an election cycle.

As the character first took off online, its purpose was to convey certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, even a particular image endorsed by that figure himself, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "unique frog images" and established digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed an inside joke.

But Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has expressed about his unhappiness for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

Pepe first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he said his drawing was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of the internet, the creator sought to reject his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves that we don't control icons," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

For a long time, the notoriety of this meme meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. This shifted in early October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment came just days after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed irritant at a protester, directing it into the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "something milder". But the incident spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops was unlawful.

While a ruling was issued in October that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "propensity for donning inflatable costumes when expressing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she opined. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The action was halted by courts soon after, and personnel are said to have left the area.

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

The costume was spotted in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests recently. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was backordered on major websites, and rose in price.

Shaping the Optics

What brings both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to your ideas without needing directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the symbol you share.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The idea of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

When protesters confront authority, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences