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

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst rallies opposing the administration persist in American cities, protesters are adopting the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided dance instruction, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement observe.

Mixing levity and politics – a strategy experts call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a defining feature of protests in the United States in the current era, embraced by various groups.

And one symbol has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It started after recordings of a clash between an individual in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to rallies throughout the United States.

"There is much going on with that small frog costume," notes a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in political performance.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by online communities during a political race.

When the meme gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by the candidate personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

But the character did not originate this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has expressed about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his series.

This character debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which chronicles the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he stated his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that creators cannot own imagery," says the professor. "They transform and be reworked."

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted recently, when an incident between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

This incident came just days after a decision to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves outside a facility, just outside of an ICE office.

Tensions were high and a officer deployed a chemical agent at a protester, directing it into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for the city, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog became part of in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which claimed the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a judge decided that month that the president was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "propensity for wearing chicken suits while voicing dissent."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber stated. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and troops withdrew from the city.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a significant symbol of resistance for the left.

This symbol appeared across the country at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and big international cities abroad.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Visual Story

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights your ideas without explicitly stating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

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

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