🔗 Share this article

This protest movement isn't televised, but it could have webbed feet and protruding eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.

As protests against the administration carry on in American cities, participants are adopting the vibe of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, while police observe.

Blending humour and politics – a strategy researchers call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of US demonstrations in this period, adopted by various groups.

A specific icon has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It began after a video of a clash between an individual in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot going on with that little inflatable frog," states an expert, a professor at UC Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

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

As the character initially spread on the internet, people used it to signal specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to show support for a political figure, including a particular image retweeted by the candidate personally, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed an inside joke.

However the character did not originate so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his unhappiness for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

This character debuted in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. A film, which chronicles the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he stated the character came from his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to early internet platforms, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of the internet, the creator tried to disavow his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves that we don't control symbols," says the professor. "They transform and be reworked."

Until recently, the association of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. But that changed on a day in October, when a confrontation between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

This incident followed a decision to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer deployed pepper spray at a protester, aiming directly into the opening of the costume.

The individual, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

The costume was not too unusual for Portland, renowned for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which claimed the use of troops was illegal.

Although a judge decided that month that the president had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning demonstrators' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing their disagreement."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which accepts the description of Portland as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge stated. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The order was "permanently" blocked subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the city.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had transformed into a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was spotted in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests recently. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on online retailers, and rose in price.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings the two amphibian symbols – is the interplay between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" display that calls attention to a message without needing obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the meme circulated.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

The theory of such tactics is three-fold, he explains.

As activists take on authority, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences