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This protest movement won't be televised, though it may feature webbed feet and bulging eyes.

It also might feature the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

While protests opposing the administration continue in US cities, participants are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided dance instruction, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers observe.

Mixing humour and political action – a strategy researchers call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of American protest in recent years, adopted by both left and right.

And one symbol has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It began when a video of a confrontation between an individual in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations nationwide.

"There is much happening with that humble inflatable frog," notes LM Bogad, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who specialises in performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It is difficult to examine demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by online communities during an election cycle.

When this image first took off online, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Subsequently, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, even a particular image endorsed by the candidate personally, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

But its beginnings were not this divisive.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his unhappiness for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

Pepe first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he said his drawing was inspired by his time with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over symbols," states the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the association of Pepe resulted in frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The moment occurred shortly after a decision to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate on a single block, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer sprayed irritant at the individual, directing it into the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which contended the use of troops was unlawful.

Although the court ruled that month that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge wrote. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel withdrew from the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had transformed into a significant anti-administration symbol for the left.

This symbol was spotted across the country at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

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

Shaping the Narrative

What brings both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that highlights a message without explicitly stating them. It's the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text on the subject, and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The idea of this approach is multi-faceted, he explains.

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