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This protest movement isn't televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and protruding eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst demonstrations opposing the government carry on in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the energy of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while police observe.

Mixing humour and politics – a tactic experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of American protest in recent years, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It started after video footage of a confrontation between an individual in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in the city of Portland, went viral. It subsequently appeared to protests throughout the United States.

"There is much going on with that little blow-up amphibian," says a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in political performance.

From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

As the meme gained popularity online, it was used to signal certain emotions. Later, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, including one notable meme retweeted by that figure personally, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became a shared phrase.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his disapproval for its co-option. 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 famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which chronicles the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he explained the character was inspired by his life with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves the lack of control over symbols," states Prof Bogad. "They transform and be repurposed."

Until recently, the association of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when a viral moment between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The moment came just days after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to congregate outside a facility, near an ICE office.

Tensions were high and a officer used a chemical agent at the individual, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, saying he had tasted "something milder". But the incident became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, famous for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that embrace the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which argued the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although a judge decided that month that the president had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "propensity for donning inflatable costumes when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The action was halted by courts subsequently, and troops are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the frog had become a potent anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The costume was spotted nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests recently. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was sold out on major websites, and rose in price.

Mastering the Visual Story

The link between both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" display that highlights your ideas without explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

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

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