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The revolution won't be broadcast, yet it might possess amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

While demonstrations against the administration carry on in American cities, protesters are utilizing the spirit of a local block party. They have taught dance instruction, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, as officers watch.

Mixing comedy and political action – a strategy researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of protests in the United States in recent years, embraced by various groups.

A specific icon has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It started when recordings of a confrontation between a protester in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. It subsequently appeared to protests throughout the United States.

"There's a lot going on with that humble inflatable frog," states an expert, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who focuses on performance art.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

As this image gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, it was utilized to endorse a candidate, including a particular image retweeted by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was deployed a shared phrase.

However the character did not originate so controversial.

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

Pepe first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he stated the character was inspired by his time with companions.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves that we don't control icons," explains Prof Bogad. "They transform and be repurposed."

Until recently, the popularity of this meme resulted in frogs became a symbol for the right. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The event came just days after a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate at a specific location, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Tensions were high and a officer deployed a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking he had tasted "something milder". However, the video became a sensation.

The costume fit right in for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that delight in the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol was also referenced in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber stated. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The order was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel are said to have left the city.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a significant symbol of resistance for the left.

The inflatable suit was seen across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

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

Shaping the Optics

What brings the two amphibian symbols – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" display that highlights your ideas without obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

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