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

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

As protests opposing the administration persist in American cities, protesters have embraced the spirit of a local block party. They have taught dance instruction, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, as officers watch.

Mixing humour and political action – a tactic researchers term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in the current era, embraced by various groups.

And one symbol has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It began after a video of a confrontation between a man in an inflatable frog and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. And it has since spread to demonstrations nationwide.

"There's a lot going on with that small frog costume," notes LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by online communities during a previous presidential campaign.

As this image gained popularity online, it was used to convey specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to show support for a candidate, even one notable meme endorsed by the candidate personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Online conservatives traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became an inside joke.

But its beginnings were not this divisive.

Its creator, the illustrator, has expressed about his unhappiness for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

This character debuted in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he explained the character came from his time with companions.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of the internet, the creator sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates that we don't control icons," explains Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the association of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted recently, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The event occurred shortly after an order to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

The situation was tense and an agent sprayed irritant at the individual, targeting the opening of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for Portland, known for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that embrace the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and Portland, which claimed the use of troops was unlawful.

While a ruling was issued in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she opined. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The order was stopped legally soon after, and troops are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a powerful symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit appeared across the country at No Kings protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

The inflatable suit was sold out on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Optics

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – is the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic rests on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to a cause without needing explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

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

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