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The protest movement won't be broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

As rallies against the government carry on in US cities, participants are adopting the vibe of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, while police observe.

Combining comedy and politics – an approach researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of US demonstrations in the current era, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It originated when a video of a confrontation between an individual in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations nationwide.

"There is much at play with that small frog costume," states LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on political performance.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's hard to discuss protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by extremist movements throughout a political race.

When the meme initially spread online, it was used to convey certain emotions. Subsequently, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, even one notable meme endorsed by the candidate personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Users traded "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used a coded signal.

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

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his distaste for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

The frog first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a quirky behavior. A film, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his work, he stated the character was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves the lack of control over symbols," explains Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

For a long time, the notoriety of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted recently, when a viral moment between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident followed a directive to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Emotions ran high and a officer sprayed irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, stating it tasted like "something milder". But the incident spread everywhere.

The costume fit right in for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that delight in the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume even played a role in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which argued the deployment was illegal.

While the court ruled in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The order was stopped legally soon after, and troops are said to have left the city.

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

The costume appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and big international cities abroad.

This item was in high demand on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Optics

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy is based on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to a cause without needing explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol you share.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

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