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The protest movement won't be broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

As demonstrations opposing the leadership continue in US cities, protesters are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided dance instruction, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement watch.

Blending levity and politics – an approach social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of protests in the United States in this period, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It originated after video footage of a confrontation between a protester in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. It subsequently appeared to protests across the country.

"There's a lot happening with that small frog costume," notes an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in political performance.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by far-right groups during a previous presidential campaign.

When the character initially spread online, people used it to express certain emotions. Later, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, including a particular image shared by that figure personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

However its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has expressed about his distaste for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

Pepe first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he explained the character was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried uploading his work to the nascent social web, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of online spaces, the creator sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

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

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe meant that 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 a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

This incident followed an order to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate on a single block, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and an agent sprayed pepper spray at a protester, directing it into the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying he had tasted "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.

The frog suit was not too unusual for Portland, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which argued the use of troops was unlawful.

Although the court ruled that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The order was halted by courts soon after, and personnel withdrew from the city.

Yet already, the frog had become a powerful protest icon for the left.

This symbol was seen across the country at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was sold out on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Controlling the Narrative

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

The tactic is based on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that draws focus to a message without obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

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

As activists confront the state, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences