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This revolution may not be broadcast, but it could have amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

As protests opposing the government continue in American cities, protesters are adopting the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, as officers watch.

Combining comedy and politics – a strategy experts call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of American protest in this period, adopted by various groups.

And one symbol has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It began when recordings of a clash between a protester in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. And it has since spread to protests throughout the United States.

"There's a lot at play with that small frog costume," notes an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It is difficult to talk about protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by extremist movements throughout a political race.

As this image gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to show support for a political figure, including a particular image retweeted by the candidate personally, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Users exchanged "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used a shared phrase.

But its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

Its creator, the illustrator, has expressed about his disapproval for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he said his drawing was inspired by his life with companions.

As he started out, the artist experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves the lack of control over imagery," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with the right. This shifted on a day in October, when an incident between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event came just days after a directive to send the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to gather in droves outside a facility, just outside of an ICE office.

Tensions were high and a officer deployed 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". Yet the footage became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for Portland, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which argued the use of troops was illegal.

Although the court ruled in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing opposition."

"Some might view this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she stated. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The order was halted by courts just a month later, and troops have reportedly departed the city.

Yet already, the frog was now a significant protest icon for the left.

The costume was seen nationwide at No Kings protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Narrative

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that draws focus to your ideas without explicitly stating them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

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

The purpose of this approach is three-fold, he says.

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