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The revolution isn't televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and protruding eyes.

Additionally, it could include a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

While rallies against the administration persist in US cities, demonstrators are utilizing the vibe of a community costume parade. They've offered dance instruction, distributed snacks, and ridden unicycles, as armed law enforcement observe.

Combining levity and political action – an approach experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of American protest in this period, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It originated after recordings of a clash between an individual in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to protests throughout the United States.

"There's a lot at play with that little inflatable frog," notes LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on creative activism.

From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to talk about protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by online communities during a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when the meme gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to express certain emotions. Subsequently, it was utilized to endorse a candidate, including one notable meme retweeted by that figure himself, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants traded "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", became an inside joke.

However the character did not originate so controversial.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has expressed about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

The frog first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he said the character came from his life with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows the lack of control over icons," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. This shifted in early October, when an incident between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after an order to send the National Guard to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, near a federal building.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer deployed a chemical agent at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, saying he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, famous for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the use of troops was unlawful.

Although a ruling was issued in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "propensity for wearing chicken suits while voicing opposition."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge stated. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The action was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel are said to have left the area.

Yet already, the frog had become a powerful protest icon for progressive movements.

The costume appeared in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

This item was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Visual Story

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that highlights your ideas without obviously explaining them. It's the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, he says.

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