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This revolution isn't broadcast, but it could have amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

As rallies opposing the administration carry on in US cities, protesters are utilizing the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement look on.

Combining humour and political action – a tactic experts term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a signature characteristic of American protest in recent years, used by various groups.

And one symbol has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It began after a video of an encounter between a man in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations nationwide.

"There's a lot happening with that small frog costume," notes an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies performance art.

The Path From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to talk about protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by online communities during a political race.

Initially, when the character initially spread online, its purpose was to convey certain emotions. Afterwards, it was deployed to express backing for a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and established digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

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

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his unhappiness for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

The frog debuted in comic strips in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he stated his drawing came from his experiences with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over icons," explains Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

For a long time, the association of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. A transformation occurred recently, when an incident between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

This incident came just days after an order to send military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to congregate on a single block, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an agent used pepper spray at a protester, directing it into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying it tasted like "something milder". However, the video became a sensation.

The frog suit was not too unusual for the city, renowned for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which argued the deployment was unlawful.

While the court ruled in October that the administration had the right to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire when expressing opposition."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge stated. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was halted by courts subsequently, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the frog had become a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

This symbol was spotted across the country at No Kings protests that fall. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was backordered on major websites, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Optics

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – is the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that draws focus to a message without needing directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit used, or the symbol you share.

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.

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

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad explains.

As protesters confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences