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

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or the plumage of a chicken.

As protests against the government carry on in American cities, protesters are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, as officers observe.

Blending comedy and political action – a strategy researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a defining feature of American protest in this period, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started when video footage of a clash between a man in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. And it has since spread to protests nationwide.

"There's a lot happening with that humble frog costume," says a professor, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who focuses on political performance.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to examine demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by far-right groups throughout a political race.

As this image first took off on the internet, its purpose was to convey specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, even a particular image retweeted by the candidate himself, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Participants traded "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was deployed a shared phrase.

Yet Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his disapproval for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

This character debuted in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he said his drawing was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over symbols," explains Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe meant that frogs were largely associated with the right. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

The moment occurred shortly after a decision to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate at a specific location, just outside of an ICE office.

Tensions were high and an agent deployed pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, quipped, remarking it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for the city, famous for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol even played a role in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops was illegal.

While the court ruled that month that the president had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, mentioning the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes when expressing opposition."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber opined. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was halted by courts just a month later, and personnel withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a potent anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They were in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Visual Story

What brings the two amphibian symbols – lies in the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" display that highlights your ideas without directly articulating them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol circulated.

The professor is an analyst 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 express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of such tactics is three-fold, he says.

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