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This revolution isn't broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and large eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or the plumage of a chicken.

As protests against the administration carry on in American cities, participants have embraced the vibe of a local block party. They've offered salsa lessons, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while police observe.

Combining humour and politics – a strategy experts term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a defining feature of US demonstrations in this period, used by various groups.

A specific icon has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It originated when a video of a clash between a man in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to protests across the country.

"There's a lot going on with that small frog costume," states an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who focuses on creative activism.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

When the meme first took off on the internet, people used it to convey specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to show support for a political figure, including one notable meme endorsed by that figure himself, portraying Pepe 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 in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was deployed a shared phrase.

Yet the character did not originate so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

Pepe first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he said the character came from his life with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of the internet, the creator tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over icons," states the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to the right. This shifted on a day in October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment came just days after a decision to deploy military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to gather in droves on a single block, just outside of a federal building.

Emotions ran high and a officer deployed a chemical agent at a protester, targeting the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, saying he had tasted "something milder". But the incident became a sensation.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, renowned for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume even played a role in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a judge decided that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning demonstrators' "known tendency for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," she stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The order was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and personnel are said to have left the city.

But by then, the frog had become a potent symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit appeared in many cities at No Kings protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

The inflatable suit was sold out on online retailers, and rose in price.

Shaping the Optics

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that highlights a cause without explicitly stating them. It's the silly outfit used, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – 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 three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

As activists confront authority, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences