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This revolution isn't broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and bulging eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

As protests against the administration carry on in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered dance instruction, given away treats, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement look on.

Blending levity and political action – an approach social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of American protest in recent years, embraced by both left and right.

One particular emblem has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It started after video footage of an encounter between a man in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. From there, it proliferated to protests throughout the United States.

"There is much happening with that humble frog costume," says a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies performance art.

From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to discuss protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups throughout a political race.

When the character gained popularity online, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to endorse a candidate, including a particular image shared by that figure personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, as a hate group member. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was used a coded signal.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his disapproval for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his series.

The frog debuted in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which chronicles the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he explained the character came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that we don't control symbols," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

Until recently, the association of Pepe meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. But that changed recently, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The event came just days after an order to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Demonstrators began to gather in droves at a specific location, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed pepper spray at a protester, targeting the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, quipped, stating it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for Portland, famous for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

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

While a judge decided in October that the president had the right to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge stated. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The order was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops withdrew from the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume was now a potent anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

This symbol appeared in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was sold out on online retailers, and rose in price.

Controlling the Visual Story

The link between both frogs together – lies in the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy is based on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to a cause without needing directly articulating them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

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

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