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This revolution won't be broadcast, but it could have amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

Whilst rallies against the leadership carry on in US cities, participants are adopting the vibe of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered dance instruction, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, as police look on.

Blending comedy and politics – a strategy social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of protests in the United States in this period, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It originated when a video of a clash between an individual in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. And it has since spread to rallies nationwide.

"A great deal happening with that little frog costume," states LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who studies political performance.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by extremist movements during an election cycle.

When this image gained popularity online, it was used to express certain emotions. Subsequently, it was utilized to endorse a candidate, even a particular image shared by the candidate personally, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and established digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a shared phrase.

Yet Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

The frog debuted in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which follows Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he said his drawing came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As Pepe spread into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that we don't control symbols," states the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the notoriety of this meme meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. A transformation occurred recently, when an incident between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland went viral.

The event occurred shortly after a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an agent used pepper spray at the individual, directing it into the opening of the costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, quipped, stating it tasted like "something milder". However, the video went viral.

The frog suit was not too unusual for Portland, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that delight in the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which argued the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "propensity for donning inflatable costumes when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The order was stopped legally soon after, and personnel withdrew from the city.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a powerful protest icon for progressive movements.

This symbol appeared nationwide at No Kings protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Visual Story

What connects both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to a message without needing explicitly stating them. It's the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

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

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