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The revolution isn't broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

While rallies opposing the leadership persist in US cities, protesters are utilizing the spirit of a local block party. They have taught salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers watch.

Combining humour and politics – a strategy experts call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of American protest in recent years, adopted by various groups.

A specific icon has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It began after a video of a confrontation between a protester in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to protests across the country.

"A great deal going on with that small blow-up amphibian," states a professor, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to examine demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by extremist movements throughout an election cycle.

As the character gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Subsequently, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, even one notable meme endorsed by the candidate himself, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed a shared phrase.

Yet the character did not originate as a political symbol.

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

The frog debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his work, he explained the character came from his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

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

Previously, the notoriety of this meme meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. But that changed on a day in October, when a confrontation between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland went viral.

This incident followed a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers at a specific location, near an ICE office.

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

The protester, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for the city, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which contended the deployment was illegal.

While a ruling was issued that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," she wrote. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was stopped legally just a month later, and troops withdrew from the city.

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

The costume was seen across the country at No Kings protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Narrative

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to a cause without needing explicitly stating them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He authored a text on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

The idea of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

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