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

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst rallies against the administration carry on in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the vibe of a local block party. They've provided dance instruction, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers watch.

Mixing humour and politics – an approach experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in this period, used by various groups.

A specific icon has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started when video footage of a confrontation between an individual in a frog suit and ICE agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to rallies throughout the United States.

"There is much at play with that humble frog costume," notes a professor, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in political performance.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by online communities during an election cycle.

As the meme first took off online, people used it to express certain emotions. Subsequently, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, even one notable meme endorsed by that figure himself, showing the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used an inside joke.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his disapproval for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

Pepe debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he said the character came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves the lack of control over imagery," explains the professor. "They transform and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the association of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to the right. But that changed on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment came just days after an order to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers at a specific location, near an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and a officer deployed irritant at the individual, directing it into the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, remarking it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for Portland, known for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing opposition."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she stated. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had become a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume appeared across the country at No Kings protests recently. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The inflatable suit was sold out on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Optics

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that draws focus to a cause without directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme you share.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

The theory of this approach is three-fold, he says.

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