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This protest movement won't be televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

While demonstrations opposing the administration carry on in US cities, participants are utilizing the energy of a community costume parade. They have taught salsa lessons, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement watch.

Combining levity and political action – an approach experts term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in recent years, adopted by both left and right.

A specific icon has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started after video footage of a confrontation between a protester in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There is much happening with that small frog costume," notes a professor, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies political performance.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It is difficult to discuss protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by far-right groups during a previous presidential campaign.

When the character gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to convey certain emotions. Afterwards, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, even a particular image endorsed by that figure himself, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

However Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his disapproval for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

The frog first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his creation, he explained the character was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, the artist experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of the internet, the creator sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over imagery," states Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the popularity of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

This incident followed an order to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to gather in droves on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Tensions were high and an immigration officer sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, directing it into the air intake fan of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident became a sensation.

The costume was somewhat typical for the city, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that delight in the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which claimed the deployment was illegal.

Although the court ruled in October that the president had the right to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire while voicing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The order was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

Yet already, the frog was now a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

The inflatable suit was spotted nationwide at No Kings protests recently. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was backordered on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Optics

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – is the relationship between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" 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 an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The theory of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

As activists confront the state, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences