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This revolution isn't broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

Whilst rallies against the government carry on in US cities, participants are utilizing the spirit of a community costume parade. They have taught salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, as armed law enforcement look on.

Combining levity and political action – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a hallmark of protests in the United States in recent years, used by various groups.

One particular emblem has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It began when video footage of an encounter between an individual in an amphibian costume and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. It subsequently appeared to rallies nationwide.

"There is much going on with that humble frog costume," notes LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's hard to discuss protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

When this image first took off on the internet, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, it was utilized to express backing for a candidate, even a particular image endorsed by that figure himself, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

Yet Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his distaste for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

Pepe debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which follows Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he explained his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves the lack of control over icons," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Previously, the notoriety of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with the right. This shifted on a day in October, when a viral moment between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident followed a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, near a federal building.

Tensions were high and an immigration officer used pepper spray at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident became a sensation.

The frog suit 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 unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled that month that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes while voicing their disagreement."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber stated. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a significant protest icon for the left.

This symbol was spotted across the country at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on major websites, and rose in price.

Mastering the Optics

The link between both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" display that draws focus to your ideas without explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

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