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This protest movement isn't broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

Whilst protests opposing the administration persist in American cities, participants have embraced the spirit of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement observe.

Mixing levity and politics – a strategy experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of American protest in the current era, embraced by various groups.

And one symbol has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It originated after recordings of a confrontation between an individual in an amphibian costume and federal officers in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to protests throughout the United States.

"There's a lot happening with that humble frog costume," states an expert, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in political performance.

From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by extremist movements during a political race.

Initially, when this image initially spread on the internet, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by that figure personally, showing the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed an inside joke.

But Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

Its creator, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

The frog debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he stated his drawing came from his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator sought to reject his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that creators cannot own icons," says Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

Previously, the association of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident followed a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Demonstrators began to congregate at a specific location, near an ICE office.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer used pepper spray at the individual, targeting the opening of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, stating it tasted like "something milder". But the incident went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for Portland, renowned for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that embrace the absurd – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume became part of in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which contended the deployment was unlawful.

Although the court ruled in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes when expressing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The order was halted by courts subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had become a powerful protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit appeared in many cities at No Kings protests recently. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

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

Shaping the Visual Story

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

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

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

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