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This revolution won't be broadcast, but it could have amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

Whilst demonstrations opposing the government persist in US cities, protesters are utilizing the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers look on.

Mixing humour and political action – a strategy social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of protests in the United States in this period, adopted by various groups.

One particular emblem has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It began when recordings of a clash between a man in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. It subsequently appeared to rallies across the country.

"There's a lot at play with that little blow-up amphibian," states an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

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

When the meme initially spread on the internet, people used it to signal certain emotions. Later, it was deployed to endorse a political figure, including a particular image shared by the candidate personally, portraying the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, as a hate group member. Users traded "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

However its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has expressed about his distaste for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his series.

The frog debuted in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he stated the character was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that we don't control symbols," states the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the association of Pepe resulted in frogs were largely associated with the right. But that changed on a day in October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

The event came just days after a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to gather in droves at a specific location, just outside of an ICE office.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer used pepper spray at a protester, targeting the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, saying he had tasted "something milder". But the incident became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for Portland, known for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that revel in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which contended the deployment was unlawful.

While the court ruled in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning the protesters' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber opined. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The action was stopped legally soon after, and personnel are said to have left the area.

Yet already, the frog had transformed into a potent protest icon for progressive movements.

The costume was spotted in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Optics

The link between both frogs together – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" act that calls attention to your ideas without needing explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The idea of this approach is three-fold, he explains.

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