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The revolution won't be televised, yet it might possess amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

While demonstrations against the government continue in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the vibe of a community costume parade. They've offered dance instruction, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers watch.

Blending humour and political action – a tactic researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in the current era, used by various groups.

And one symbol has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It originated after recordings of an encounter between a protester in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to rallies throughout the United States.

"There's a lot at play with that little inflatable frog," states a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to discuss protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by extremist movements throughout a political race.

When the meme gained popularity online, people used it to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, including a particular image shared by that figure himself, showing the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

However the character did not originate as a political symbol.

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

This character first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he stated the character came from his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"It shows that we don't control icons," explains Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred recently, when an incident between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The event came just days after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and a officer sprayed irritant at a protester, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales". Yet the footage went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for Portland, known for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops was illegal.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the president had the right to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing their disagreement."

"Some might view this decision, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops withdrew from the area.

Yet already, the amphibian costume was now a potent protest icon for the left.

The costume was spotted nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on online retailers, and rose in price.

Mastering the Narrative

What connects both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights a message without needing explicitly stating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

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

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of such tactics is multi-faceted, he says.

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