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This protest movement may not be broadcast, but it could have amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or the plumage of a chicken.

Whilst rallies opposing the leadership continue in US cities, participants have embraced the vibe of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, given away treats, and performed on unicycles, as armed law enforcement observe.

Mixing comedy and political action – an approach experts call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a defining feature of US demonstrations in recent years, adopted by various groups.

A specific icon has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It started when video footage of an encounter between an individual in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, went viral. From there, it proliferated to rallies nationwide.

"There is much at play with that little frog costume," notes a professor, who teaches 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 challenging to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by extremist movements throughout a political race.

As the meme first took off online, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to show support for a candidate, even a particular image retweeted by that figure himself, depicting Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants traded "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", was used a shared phrase.

But Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

Pepe debuted in comic strips in 2005 – apolitical and best known for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his creation, he stated his drawing came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

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

Previously, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. But that changed recently, when an incident between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after a directive to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, just outside of an ICE office.

The situation was tense and a officer sprayed irritant at a protester, aiming directly into the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, saying it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for the city, famous for its eccentric vibe and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The costume was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and Portland, which argued the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although a judge decided that month that the president was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire when expressing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge stated. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The order was stopped legally soon after, and troops are said to have left the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume was now a potent protest icon for progressive movements.

The costume was seen across the country at No Kings protests last autumn. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

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

Controlling the Narrative

The link between the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to a cause without obviously explaining them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

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

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

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

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