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The protest movement may not be broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

Whilst protests against the administration persist in US cities, participants are utilizing the energy of a local block party. They have taught salsa lessons, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, as armed law enforcement watch.

Blending humour and political action – a strategy experts term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in the current era, embraced by both left and right.

And one symbol has risen to become 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, spread online. And it has since spread to rallies throughout the United States.

"There is much happening with that little blow-up amphibian," says a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies political performance.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's hard to talk about protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by extremist movements during an election cycle.

As this image initially spread online, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Later, its use evolved to endorse a political figure, even a particular image retweeted by that figure personally, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used a coded signal.

However its beginnings were not this divisive.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his unhappiness for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

The frog debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he stated the character came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over icons," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme resulted in frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when a viral moment between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident came just days after a directive to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, near an ICE office.

Tensions were high and an agent deployed a chemical agent at a protester, aiming directly into the opening of the costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, quipped, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

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

Although the court ruled that month that the president had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes when expressing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge opined. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel withdrew from the area.

But by then, the frog had become a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit appeared nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities abroad.

This item was in high demand on major websites, and rose in price.

Controlling the Narrative

The link between both frogs together – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that highlights a cause without needing directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and still have plausible deniability."

The purpose of this approach is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

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