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This revolution isn't broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and bulging eyes.

Furthermore, it may involve the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

Whilst protests opposing the leadership continue in US cities, protesters have embraced the energy of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, as police watch.

Mixing humour and political action – an approach social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in the current era, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It began after video footage of a confrontation between a protester in a frog suit and ICE agents in the city of Portland, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"A great deal at play with that small inflatable frog," states a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on performance art.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It is difficult to examine demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by online communities throughout a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when this image gained popularity on the internet, it was used to convey specific feelings. Afterwards, it was utilized to endorse a candidate, even a particular image endorsed by the candidate personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used a coded signal.

But its beginnings were not so controversial.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his distaste for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

Pepe debuted in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. A film, which documents the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained his drawing was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves that creators cannot own imagery," explains the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Previously, the association of this meme meant that frogs became a symbol for the right. But that changed on a day in October, when an incident between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event followed an order to deploy military personnel to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, near an immigration enforcement facility.

Tensions were high and an immigration officer sprayed pepper spray at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, quipped, remarking he had tasted "spicier tamales". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog even played a role in a lawsuit between the federal government and Portland, which argued the deployment was unlawful.

Although the court ruled in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire when expressing their disagreement."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she wrote. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The action was stopped legally just a month later, and personnel withdrew from the city.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a potent symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was seen across the country at No Kings protests that fall. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Optics

The link between both frogs together – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to a cause without needing obviously explaining them. This is the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol you share.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of such tactics is multi-faceted, he explains.

As activists confront authority, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences