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This protest movement won't be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

While rallies against the leadership carry on in American cities, demonstrators are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, as armed law enforcement look on.

Blending humour and politics – an approach social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of American protest in recent years, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

One particular emblem has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It began after a video of an encounter between an individual in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to protests throughout the United States.

"There's a lot at play with that humble inflatable frog," states an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who focuses on performance art.

From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by extremist movements during an election cycle.

When this image initially spread on the internet, it was used to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to endorse a political figure, even a particular image shared by that figure personally, showing the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was used an inside joke.

However the character did not originate as a political symbol.

Its creator, the illustrator, has stated about his disapproval for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he explained the character came from his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves the lack of control over symbols," explains the professor. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

Until recently, the association of Pepe meant that frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. But that changed on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

The moment followed a directive to send military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to congregate at a specific location, just outside of an ICE office.

The situation was tense and a officer sprayed irritant at the individual, targeting the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The individual, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video became a sensation.

The costume fit right in for Portland, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that delight in the absurd – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which argued the use of troops was unlawful.

While a judge decided in October that the administration had the right to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion the protesters' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge opined. "However, this ruling is not merely absurd."

The deployment was halted by courts subsequently, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

Yet already, the frog had transformed into a potent symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was seen in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and rose in price.

Shaping the Visual Story

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to a message without needing explicitly stating them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

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

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