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The revolution isn't televised, though it may feature webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

As rallies against the government carry on in US cities, participants have embraced the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while police look on.

Combining humour and politics – an approach social scientists refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a defining feature of US demonstrations in the current era, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It began after a video of an encounter between a man in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. And it has since spread to rallies across the country.

"There's a lot at play with that humble inflatable frog," notes an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by far-right groups during an election cycle.

Initially, when the meme initially spread online, it was used to express certain emotions. Afterwards, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, even one notable meme endorsed by the candidate personally, showing the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was used a shared phrase.

However the character did not originate this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his distaste for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

Pepe debuted in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which follows Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he said his drawing came from his life with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own symbols," says Prof Bogad. "They transform and be repurposed."

Previously, the popularity of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The moment occurred shortly after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to gather in droves on a single block, near an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an agent deployed a chemical agent at the individual, aiming directly into the opening of the inflatable suit.

The protester, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, stating he had tasted "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

The frog suit fit right in for Portland, known for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

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

Although the court ruled in October that the administration had the right to deploy troops, one judge dissented, mentioning the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a battlefield, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge wrote. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

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

Yet already, the amphibian costume had become a significant symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

This symbol was seen in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was in high demand on online retailers, and rose in price.

Mastering the Narrative

The link between both frogs together – lies in the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that draws focus to your ideas without needing directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the symbol you share.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and an experienced participant. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of this approach is multi-faceted, he says.

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