🔗 Share this article

This protest movement won't be televised, though it may feature amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

While rallies against the leadership persist in US cities, participants are adopting the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while officers observe.

Mixing humour and political action – a strategy experts term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of American protest in the current era, embraced by various groups.

One particular emblem has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It began after video footage of a clash between a man in an amphibian costume and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, went viral. And it has since spread to demonstrations across the country.

"A great deal at play with that humble blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies creative activism.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by online communities throughout a previous presidential campaign.

When this image gained popularity online, its purpose was to convey specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to express backing for a candidate, even one notable meme retweeted by the candidate himself, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, portrayed as a hate group member. Users traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was used an inside joke.

Yet the character did not originate so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has expressed about his disapproval for its appropriation. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

Pepe debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained the character came from his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves the lack of control over icons," explains Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reworked."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident occurred shortly after a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to gather in droves on a single block, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and a officer sprayed pepper spray at a protester, targeting the ventilation of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for Portland, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which contended the deployment was illegal.

Although a judge decided in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "propensity for using unusual attire while voicing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge wrote. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The order was halted by courts soon after, and troops are said to have left the area.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a significant protest icon for the left.

This symbol was seen in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Visual Story

What connects the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" display that draws focus to a message without explicitly stating them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the meme you share.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars 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 theory of this approach is multi-faceted, he explains.

As protesters take on the state, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences