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The protest movement may not be televised, though it may feature amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

As demonstrations opposing the administration continue in American cities, participants are utilizing the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided dance instruction, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement observe.

Mixing levity and politics – a tactic social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of US demonstrations in this period, adopted by both left and right.

And one symbol has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It began after video footage of a clash between a man in an amphibian costume and federal officers in the city of Portland, went viral. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There is much at play with that humble blow-up amphibian," states a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies creative activism.

From Pepe to Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by extremist movements throughout a previous presidential campaign.

As this image first took off on the internet, it was used to signal certain emotions. Afterwards, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, even one notable meme shared by the candidate personally, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a coded signal.

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. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

This character first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which chronicles the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he said his drawing was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"It shows that we don't control symbols," explains the professor. "They transform and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the popularity of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The event occurred shortly after a decision to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers at a specific location, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, quipped, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for the city, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which contended the deployment overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled that month that the president had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits while voicing dissent."

"Some might view this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge wrote. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The deployment was stopped legally subsequently, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume was now a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The costume was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was backordered on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Visual Story

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – is the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights your ideas without needing obviously explaining them. This is the goofy costume used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written 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 express dissent a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

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