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The revolution isn't broadcast, but it could have amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

It also might feature the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

Whilst protests opposing the administration persist in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the spirit of a local block party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while police watch.

Mixing humour and politics – an approach researchers term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in the current era, used by various groups.

A specific icon has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It began when recordings of a clash between a protester in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations across the country.

"There is much going on with that little inflatable frog," notes LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by extremist movements during a political race.

When the meme initially spread on the internet, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to show support for a political figure, even a particular image shared by the candidate himself, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, as a hate group member. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

But Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Its creator, the illustrator, has expressed about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained his drawing was inspired by his experiences with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of the internet, the creator tried to disavow his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows the lack of control over icons," says Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to the right. This shifted recently, when a confrontation between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland captured global attention.

The moment occurred shortly after a decision to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and a officer deployed irritant at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

The individual, Seth Todd, quipped, saying he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The costume fit right in for the city, known for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that delight in the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and the city, which claimed the deployment was unlawful.

Although the court ruled in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The action was halted by courts subsequently, and troops withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a significant protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit appeared across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Narrative

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to a cause without needing obviously explaining them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – 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.

As activists take on the state, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences