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This protest movement isn't broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

As protests against the government persist in American cities, demonstrators are utilizing the energy of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers observe.

Mixing humour and politics – an approach experts term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in this period, adopted by various groups.

One particular emblem has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It originated when a video of a confrontation between a man in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. And it has since spread to rallies throughout the United States.

"A great deal at play with that small blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on creative activism.

From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to discuss protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by extremist movements throughout a political race.

Initially, when this image initially spread on the internet, it was used to express specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, including a particular image retweeted by the candidate himself, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in darker contexts, as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", became a coded signal.

But Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has expressed about his unhappiness for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

Pepe debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he explained his drawing came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves that we don't control icons," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

Until recently, the association of Pepe meant that frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

This incident came just days after an order to deploy military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an agent sprayed pepper spray at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for Portland, renowned for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol was also referenced in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which contended the use of troops was unlawful.

While a ruling was issued in October that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she wrote. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The deployment was stopped legally subsequently, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the frog had become a potent protest icon for progressive movements.

This symbol was seen in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and rose in price.

Mastering the Narrative

What connects the two amphibian symbols – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the silly outfit used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

The idea of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

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