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The revolution won't be broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

As demonstrations against the administration continue in American cities, protesters have embraced the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided salsa lessons, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, as officers watch.

Mixing levity and political action – a strategy experts term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a hallmark of US demonstrations in the current era, used by various groups.

And one symbol has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It originated when video footage of a clash between an individual in an amphibian costume and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to protests throughout the United States.

"There's a lot at play with that small blow-up amphibian," states an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It's challenging to talk about protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by online communities during an election cycle.

When the meme first took off online, it was used to express certain emotions. Afterwards, its use evolved to endorse a political figure, including a particular image endorsed by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in offensive ways, portrayed as a hate group member. Online conservatives exchanged "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", became an inside joke.

Yet its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his disapproval for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a quirky behavior. A film, which chronicles the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he stated his drawing was inspired by his time with companions.

Early in his career, the artist experimented with uploading his work to early internet platforms, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It shows that creators cannot own icons," says Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reclaimed."

Previously, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between an activist dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The moment followed an order to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate on a single block, near a federal building.

Tensions were high and an agent deployed a chemical agent at the individual, directing it into the air intake fan of the costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, quipped, remarking it tasted like "something milder". But the incident spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, renowned for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that embrace the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which argued the use of troops was unlawful.

Although a ruling was issued that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire when expressing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The action was stopped legally just a month later, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

But by then, the frog had become a significant symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

This item was backordered on major websites, and rose in price.

Shaping the Optics

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that draws focus to a message without directly articulating them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a text on the subject, 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 while maintaining plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, he says.

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