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This revolution may not be broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

While rallies against the administration continue in US cities, protesters have embraced the spirit of a community costume parade. They've offered dance instruction, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, as police look on.

Combining levity and political action – a tactic social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of American protest in this period, adopted by both left and right.

A specific icon has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It originated after a video of a clash between a protester in an inflatable frog and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, went viral. It subsequently appeared to rallies across the country.

"There's a lot going on with that little inflatable frog," states a professor, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on political performance.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

When the meme gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to express certain emotions. Afterwards, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, even one notable meme retweeted by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used an inside joke.

However Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has stated about his disapproval for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and best known for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he said the character came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that we don't control symbols," explains the professor. "They transform and be reworked."

Previously, the association of this meme meant that frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. But that changed recently, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

This incident followed a directive to send the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, directing it into the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, remarking he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for Portland, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which argued the deployment was unlawful.

While a judge decided in October that the administration had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "known tendency for using unusual attire when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge wrote. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

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

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had become a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The costume was spotted in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Visual Story

What brings both frogs together – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that draws focus to a cause without needing explicitly stating them. It's the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He authored a text on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The purpose of this approach is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad explains.

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