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This resistance isn't broadcast, but it could have amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

As rallies against the government persist in American cities, protesters have embraced the energy of a local block party. They've provided salsa lessons, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement watch.

Combining levity and political action – an approach researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of US demonstrations in this period, used by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It began when video footage of a clash between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to protests throughout the United States.

"There is much happening with that little inflatable frog," states an expert, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by online communities during an election cycle.

When the character gained popularity online, it was used to express specific feelings. Afterwards, it was utilized to express backing for a candidate, including a particular image shared by the candidate personally, showing the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became a coded signal.

Yet Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has expressed about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he explained his drawing was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into darker parts of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows that creators cannot own icons," explains Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

Until recently, the notoriety of this meme meant that frogs were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

This incident occurred shortly after a decision to send military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to assemble in large numbers at a specific location, near a federal building.

Emotions ran high and a officer deployed a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, quipped, saying it tasted like "something milder". But the incident became a sensation.

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, famous for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that delight in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which claimed the use of troops was unlawful.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the president had the right to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning the protesters' "known tendency for using unusual attire when expressing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she stated. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The action was halted by courts subsequently, and personnel are said to have left the city.

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

The costume was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – 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.

Controlling the Optics

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

The tactic is based on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" act that draws focus to your ideas without needing obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – 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.

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