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This protest movement may not be broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

While demonstrations against the leadership carry on in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the vibe of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement watch.

Mixing levity and political action – a strategy researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of US demonstrations in recent years, embraced by both left and right.

A specific icon has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It originated when video footage of an encounter between an individual in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There's a lot going on with that little blow-up amphibian," says a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who studies creative activism.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by far-right groups during a political race.

As this image first took off on the internet, it was used to convey specific feelings. Later, its use evolved to endorse a political figure, including one notable meme endorsed by the candidate himself, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and established digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a shared phrase.

However the character did not originate this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his unhappiness for its co-option. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

This character first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he stated his drawing was inspired by his experiences with companions.

As he started out, the artist experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows the lack of control over imagery," says Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Until recently, the association of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. But that changed recently, when a viral moment between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

This incident followed a directive to send military personnel to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Activists began to gather in droves outside a facility, near a federal building.

Emotions ran high and an agent used irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.

The costume was somewhat typical for Portland, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that delight in the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which claimed the deployment was unlawful.

Although a judge decided in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes while voicing opposition."

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she opined. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

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

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a potent symbol of resistance for the left.

The inflatable suit was spotted in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests recently. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was backordered on major websites, and rose in price.

Mastering the Optics

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

The tactic is based on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that draws focus to a message without directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The idea of this approach is multi-faceted, he explains.

When protesters take on a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences