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The revolution isn't broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

Whilst rallies against the leadership continue in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement look on.

Blending levity and politics – a strategy researchers refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of American protest in the current era, used by various groups.

And one symbol has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It began when video footage of a clash between a man in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. And it has since spread to rallies nationwide.

"There is much at play with that small frog costume," states an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by online communities throughout a political race.

When the meme gained popularity online, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to show support for a candidate, including a particular image endorsed by the candidate personally, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants traded "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used an inside joke.

Yet Pepe didn't start out as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his unhappiness for its co-option. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

This character debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he said the character came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist experimented with sharing his art to the nascent social web, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of the internet, the creator sought to reject the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that creators cannot own symbols," says Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reworked."

For a long time, the popularity of this meme resulted in frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. But that changed recently, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

This incident followed an order to deploy military personnel to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate on a single block, near a federal building.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer deployed pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, stating he had tasted "something milder". But the incident spread everywhere.

The costume was somewhat typical for Portland, renowned for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol was also referenced in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which argued the use of troops was unlawful.

While the court ruled that month that the president had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, mentioning the protesters' "propensity for wearing chicken suits while voicing dissent."

"It is easy to see this decision, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," she opined. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The action was stopped legally subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the city.

But by then, the frog had transformed into a potent anti-administration symbol for the left.

The inflatable suit was seen across the country at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Optics

What brings the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights a cause without needing obviously explaining them. It's the silly outfit used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"One can look back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

The theory of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

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