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This revolution may not be broadcast, but it could have amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

Whilst rallies opposing the leadership carry on in US cities, participants have embraced the energy of a local block party. They've provided dance instruction, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while police observe.

Blending comedy and political action – an approach researchers term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of US demonstrations in this period, embraced by various groups.

One particular emblem has proven to be particularly salient – the frog. It began when video footage of an encounter between an individual in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. From there, it proliferated to rallies throughout the United States.

"A great deal at play with that humble blow-up amphibian," notes a professor, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog adopted by online communities during a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when this image gained popularity online, it was used to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, even one notable meme shared by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed an inside joke.

But its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has stated about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

The frog debuted in comic strips in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents Mr Furie's efforts to take back of his creation, he explained the character was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, the artist tried uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It proves that we don't control icons," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

Previously, the popularity of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery were largely associated with 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 went viral.

The event followed an order to send the National Guard to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate at a specific location, near an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed irritant at a protester, targeting the opening of the inflatable suit.

The protester, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.

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

The costume became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which contended the use of troops was unlawful.

While a judge decided in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning the protesters' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge stated. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and troops withdrew from the area.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had become a powerful symbol of resistance for the left.

The costume appeared in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

The inflatable suit was backordered on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Optics

What brings both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" display that highlights your ideas without needing obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume used, or the symbol you share.

The professor is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"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 purpose of such tactics is three-fold, he says.

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