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This revolution won't be broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and large eyes.

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

Whilst rallies against the government persist in US cities, participants are utilizing the energy of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement observe.

Mixing humour and political action – a tactic researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of American protest in recent years, used by various groups.

One particular emblem has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started when recordings of a confrontation between a protester in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. It subsequently appeared to protests nationwide.

"There is much going on with that little frog costume," states a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to talk about protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

As the character gained popularity online, its purpose was to signal certain emotions. Afterwards, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, including a particular image endorsed by that figure personally, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his unhappiness for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

This character first appeared in comic strips in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he said the character came from his life with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves that we don't control symbols," states the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

For a long time, the popularity of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. But that changed on a day in October, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland captured global attention.

This incident followed a decision to send the National Guard to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an ICE office.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer deployed a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

The protester, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video spread everywhere.

The frog suit fit right in for Portland, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog even played a role in a lawsuit between the administration and the city, which claimed the deployment was illegal.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "propensity for using unusual attire when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she wrote. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The order was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a significant protest icon for the left.

This symbol was spotted across the country at No Kings protests recently. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

The frog costume was backordered on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Narrative

The link between both frogs together – lies in the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to your ideas without directly articulating them. It's the goofy costume used, or the symbol circulated.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

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

The idea of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

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