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The revolution isn't televised, though it may feature webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

Whilst protests opposing the administration continue in American cities, participants are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, as officers watch.

Blending humour and politics – a tactic experts term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of American protest in this period, adopted by various groups.

One particular emblem has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It started when recordings of a confrontation between a protester in an inflatable frog and federal officers in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to rallies across the country.

"There is much at play with that humble inflatable frog," 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 the Streets of Portland

It's hard to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by extremist movements during a political race.

As the meme first took off online, it was used to express specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, even a particular image endorsed by that figure personally, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, as a hate group member. Participants traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

Yet the character did not originate this divisive.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his disapproval for how the image has been used. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his work, he stated his drawing was inspired by his experiences with companions.

When he began, the artist experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves that creators cannot own icons," says Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

Until recently, the association of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted recently, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident came just days after an order to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate outside a facility, near a federal building.

Tensions were high and an immigration officer deployed a chemical agent at a protester, aiming directly into the opening of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, quipped, stating he had tasted "something milder". But the incident became a sensation.

The costume fit right in for the city, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the absurd – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which argued the use of troops was illegal.

While a ruling was issued that month that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, one judge dissented, mentioning the protesters' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits while voicing dissent."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The action was halted by courts subsequently, and personnel are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had transformed into a potent protest icon for the left.

This symbol was spotted in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was sold out on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Optics

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to a cause without explicitly stating them. This is the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

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