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This protest movement won't be televised, though it may feature webbed feet and large eyes.

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

While protests opposing the government carry on in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught salsa lessons, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, as police observe.

Mixing levity and political action – a tactic researchers term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of American protest in the current era, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started when video footage of an encounter between an individual in an amphibian costume and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations across the country.

"There is much going on with that humble blow-up amphibian," notes an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on political performance.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to examine demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by online communities throughout a political race.

Initially, when the meme gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to endorse a political figure, including a particular image endorsed by the candidate personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed an inside joke.

However the character did not originate as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his unhappiness for its co-option. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

This character debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he stated the character was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It shows that creators cannot own icons," states the professor. "They transform and be reworked."

Until recently, the notoriety of Pepe meant that frogs were predominantly linked to the right. But that changed recently, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland went viral.

The event followed a directive to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, near a federal building.

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

The protester, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, stating he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The costume was somewhat typical for the city, famous for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which claimed the deployment was illegal.

While a ruling was issued that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits while voicing their disagreement."

"Some might view this decision, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge stated. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The order was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and troops withdrew from the area.

But by then, the frog was now a potent anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The costume was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Visual Story

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to a message without needing explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

The theory of this approach is three-fold, he explains.

As protesters take on the state, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences