🔗 Share this article

The protest movement won't be broadcast, yet it might possess amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

While demonstrations against the government carry on in American cities, protesters have embraced the vibe of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, as officers watch.

Combining humour and politics – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of American protest in this period, adopted by various groups.

One particular emblem has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It started after a video of a confrontation between an individual in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations nationwide.

"A great deal at play with that small frog costume," notes LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by extremist movements throughout a political race.

As the character initially spread on the internet, people used it to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to show support for a candidate, even a particular image retweeted by that figure personally, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

Yet the character did not originate as a political symbol.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his disapproval for its co-option. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

The frog first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his creation, he stated his drawing came from his time with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of the internet, the creator sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over imagery," states Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred on a day in October, when a confrontation between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The event followed a decision to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, near a federal building.

Tensions were high and a officer used pepper spray at the individual, directing it into the opening of the inflatable suit.

The individual, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage went viral.

The frog suit was not too unusual for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that revel in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which contended the deployment overstepped authority.

While a judge decided in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"Some might view the court's opinion, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," she stated. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel are said to have left the area.

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

This symbol was seen across the country 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 abroad.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Narrative

The link between the two amphibian symbols – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that highlights a cause without obviously explaining them. It's the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

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

When activists confront the state, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences