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The protest movement may not be broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

As rallies opposing the leadership persist in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered dance instruction, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, as armed law enforcement look on.

Combining humour and political action – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of protests in the United States in the current era, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It started when a video of a clash between an individual in a frog suit and ICE agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations nationwide.

"There is much at play with that humble frog costume," says LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who focuses on performance art.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's challenging to discuss protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by online communities throughout an election cycle.

When the character initially spread online, people used it to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to endorse a political figure, including a particular image retweeted by the candidate personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in offensive ways, portrayed as a hate group member. Users traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used an inside joke.

Yet its beginnings were not so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

The frog first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he said the character came from his experiences with companions.

Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates that we don't control symbols," states the professor. "They transform and be repurposed."

Until recently, the association of this meme resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The event came just days after a decision to send military personnel to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Demonstrators began to gather in droves at a specific location, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an agent used pepper spray at a protester, targeting the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, quipped, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident went viral.

The costume was somewhat typical for Portland, famous for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that revel in the absurd – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which claimed the use of troops was unlawful.

While the court ruled in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "propensity for using unusual attire when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see this decision, which accepts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she stated. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The order was stopped legally soon after, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

But by then, the frog had become a potent protest icon for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Visual Story

What brings both frogs together – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that draws focus to your ideas without obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book on the subject, 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 theory of this approach is multi-faceted, he explains.

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