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This protest movement won't be broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

As rallies opposing the administration carry on in American cities, protesters are utilizing the energy of a local block party. They have taught dance instruction, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, while officers watch.

Combining levity and political action – an approach researchers call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of protests in the United States in recent years, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It originated after a video of an encounter between a man in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, went viral. From there, it proliferated to rallies nationwide.

"There is much going on with that humble frog costume," says an expert, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who specialises in political performance.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

When this image first took off online, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, even one notable meme shared by that figure personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used a coded signal.

However its beginnings were not so controversial.

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

This character debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he stated the character was inspired by his life with companions.

When he began, the artist experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

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

Previously, the popularity of Pepe meant that frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The event came just days after an order to send the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an agent deployed irritant at a protester, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, quipped, stating he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for Portland, known for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that delight in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which claimed the deployment overstepped authority.

While a ruling was issued in October that the president had the right to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing opposition."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," she opined. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The deployment was stopped legally soon after, and personnel are said to have left the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had become a potent protest icon for the left.

The costume was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests recently. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Narrative

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – is the interplay between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a message without needing directly articulating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The purpose of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad explains.

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