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This protest movement won't be broadcast, yet it might possess amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

Whilst protests against the administration continue in American cities, participants have embraced the spirit of a local block party. They've provided salsa lessons, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while officers observe.

Mixing comedy and political action – a strategy experts call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in recent years, used by both left and right.

One particular emblem has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It started when recordings of a clash between a man in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. From there, it proliferated to rallies throughout the United States.

"A great deal at play with that humble frog costume," says an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's hard to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by far-right groups during a previous presidential campaign.

As the character first took off on the internet, people used it to convey specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, including one notable meme shared by the candidate personally, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Participants traded "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

Yet its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his unhappiness for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

This character debuted in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he explained the character came from his time with companions.

When he began, the artist experimented with sharing his art to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows that creators cannot own imagery," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reworked."

Previously, the notoriety of this meme resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to the right. But that changed recently, when a viral moment between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The event occurred shortly after an order to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to congregate on a single block, just outside of a federal building.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer sprayed irritant at the individual, targeting the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales". Yet the footage went viral.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for Portland, renowned for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that delight in the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled that month that the president was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing opposition."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber opined. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was stopped legally just a month later, and troops withdrew from the area.

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

The inflatable suit appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was sold out on major websites, and rose in price.

Controlling the Narrative

The link between both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a message without needing explicitly stating them. This is the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

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

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

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