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

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or the plumage of a chicken.

As rallies against the leadership carry on in American cities, protesters are utilizing the vibe of a local block party. They've provided dance instruction, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement watch.

Mixing levity and political action – an approach experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in recent years, used by both left and right.

And one symbol has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It originated when recordings of a confrontation between a man in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There's a lot at play with that small inflatable frog," notes LM Bogad, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who specialises in performance art.

The Path From Pepe to Portland

It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by online communities during a previous presidential campaign.

As this image gained popularity online, people used it to signal certain emotions. Later, it was utilized to endorse a candidate, including one notable meme retweeted by the candidate himself, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

However the character did not originate this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his distaste for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

Pepe first appeared in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he said the character was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist experimented with sharing his art to the nascent social web, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over symbols," says the professor. "They transform and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme resulted in frogs were largely associated with the right. This shifted on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

This incident occurred shortly after a decision to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an agent used pepper spray at a protester, directing it into the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, stating it tasted like "something milder". But the incident went viral.

The frog suit was not too unusual for the city, known for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and the city, which contended the deployment overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits while voicing opposition."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber opined. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

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

However, by that time, the frog had become a potent symbol of resistance for the left.

This symbol was spotted nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was sold out on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Optics

The link between both frogs together – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a cause without obviously explaining them. This is the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

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