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The protest movement isn't televised, though it may feature amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

As protests opposing the leadership continue in US cities, protesters are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered dance instruction, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers observe.

Combining comedy and politics – a strategy experts call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a defining feature of US demonstrations in the current era, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It began after a video of an encounter between an individual in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. And it has since spread to protests throughout the United States.

"There's a lot happening with that little frog costume," states LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It is difficult to examine demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by extremist movements during a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when this image initially spread online, it was used to convey specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to endorse a political figure, even one notable meme retweeted by that figure himself, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used an inside joke.

Yet the character did not originate this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his distaste for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

The frog first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he explained his drawing came from his time with companions.

When he began, the artist experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of online spaces, the creator sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that we don't control symbols," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred recently, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The event followed a directive to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to congregate at a specific location, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed pepper spray at the individual, targeting the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The protester, the man in the costume, quipped, remarking it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage went viral.

The frog suit was not too unusual for the city, known for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which claimed the use of troops was unlawful.

Although a ruling was issued in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "known tendency for using unusual attire when expressing opposition."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she stated. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was stopped legally soon after, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

However, by that time, the frog had become a powerful protest icon for the left.

The inflatable suit appeared nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Visual Story

The link between the two amphibian symbols – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to a cause without needing directly articulating them. It's the goofy costume used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The idea of this approach is multi-faceted, he explains.

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