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

Additionally, it could include a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

As rallies opposing the leadership carry on in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the spirit of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, while police look on.

Combining humour and political action – a tactic researchers call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in the current era, embraced by both left and right.

A specific icon has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It originated after video footage of a confrontation between a protester in an amphibian costume and federal officers in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot going on with that humble blow-up amphibian," notes LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who focuses on performance art.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by far-right groups during an election cycle.

When the character gained popularity online, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, it was utilized to show support for a candidate, including a particular image endorsed by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, as a hate group member. Users traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed an inside joke.

However its beginnings were not this divisive.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his unhappiness for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

The frog first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he stated his drawing came from his life with companions.

As he started out, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves that we don't control symbols," states the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the popularity of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after a decision to send military personnel to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Emotions ran high and a officer used pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that embrace the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which contended the deployment was unlawful.

Although a ruling was issued in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits while voicing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber opined. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The action was stopped legally just a month later, and personnel are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the frog had transformed into a significant symbol of resistance for the left.

The inflatable suit was seen nationwide at No Kings protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Narrative

What brings both frogs together – is the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to a cause without needing explicitly stating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the symbol you share.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He authored a text on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

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

As activists confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences