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This protest movement won't be televised, but it could have webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

While protests opposing the government carry on in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the energy of a community costume parade. They've offered dance instruction, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, as police watch.

Mixing comedy and political action – an approach social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by both left and right.

And one symbol has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It began after video footage of a clash between an individual in an amphibian costume and federal officers in the city of Portland, went viral. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations nationwide.

"There's a lot going on with that humble frog costume," states a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by online communities throughout an election cycle.

Initially, when the character first took off online, it was used to express certain emotions. Subsequently, it was deployed to endorse a political figure, even one notable meme endorsed by that figure personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Participants traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became a shared phrase.

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

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his disapproval for its co-option. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

Pepe first appeared in an online comic in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he stated the character was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves that creators cannot own imagery," explains Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

Previously, the popularity of this meme meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. This shifted recently, when an incident between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The event occurred shortly after a decision to send military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers at a specific location, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer deployed irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, stating he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which claimed the deployment was unlawful.

While the court ruled that month that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge opined. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the frog had transformed into a potent anti-administration symbol for the left.

The inflatable suit was spotted across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was backordered on major websites, and rose in price.

Mastering the Optics

What brings the two amphibian symbols – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that draws focus to a message without needing obviously explaining them. This is the goofy costume used, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The purpose of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

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