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This revolution may not be broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and large eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

While demonstrations against the leadership carry on in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the energy of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, as armed law enforcement watch.

Blending levity and political action – a tactic experts term "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a hallmark of American protest in recent years, embraced by both left and right.

One particular emblem has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It originated when video footage of an encounter between a protester in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. From there, it proliferated to rallies nationwide.

"There's a lot going on with that small inflatable frog," says LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by extremist movements during a political race.

Initially, when the meme gained popularity on the internet, people used it to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, even one notable meme shared by that figure personally, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Users traded "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became an inside joke.

But its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his disapproval for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

The frog debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he said his drawing was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew into darker parts of the internet, the creator sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves that creators cannot own symbols," explains the professor. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

For a long time, the notoriety of this meme meant that frogs became a symbol for the right. This shifted on a day in October, when a viral moment between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

The event occurred shortly after an order to send military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an agent sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the opening of the costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, remarking it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage spread everywhere.

The costume was somewhat typical for Portland, famous for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that delight in the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which argued the use of troops was illegal.

Although the court ruled that month that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits while voicing their disagreement."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," she stated. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The action was stopped legally just a month later, and troops are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had transformed into a powerful symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

This symbol was spotted across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was sold out on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Shaping the Visual Story

The link between the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it's a "disarming and charming" display that highlights a message without directly articulating them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a text on the subject, and taught workshops 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 plausible deniability."

The purpose of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

As protesters take on a powerful opposition, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences