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This revolution won't be televised, though it may feature amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

While demonstrations against the administration carry on in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the vibe of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement look on.

Blending humour and politics – a tactic researchers term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of American protest in the current era, used by both left and right.

A specific icon has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It started when recordings of a clash between a man in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. It subsequently appeared to protests across the country.

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

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by far-right groups during a political race.

When this image gained popularity on the internet, people used it to signal certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, including a particular image endorsed by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

The frog was also portrayed in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became an inside joke.

Yet Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

Pepe first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his work, he said his drawing was inspired by his time with companions.

Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

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

For a long time, the association of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with the right. This shifted recently, when an incident between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after a decision to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to congregate outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an agent used pepper spray at a protester, directing it into the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales". But the incident became a sensation.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that embrace the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol even played a role in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and Portland, which argued the deployment was unlawful.

Although the court ruled in October that the president had the right to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "known tendency for using unusual attire when expressing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge opined. "But today's decision has serious implications."

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

But by then, the frog had become a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

The costume appeared in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

This item was in high demand on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Narrative

The link between both frogs together – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that draws focus to a message without obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He authored a text on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"One can look 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 this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

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