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This revolution may not be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

While protests opposing the leadership continue in US cities, demonstrators are utilizing the spirit of a local block party. They've provided salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, while police watch.

Combining levity and politics – a tactic experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of US demonstrations in the current era, embraced by both left and right.

One particular emblem has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It started after recordings of a clash between a man in an amphibian costume and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, went viral. It subsequently appeared to rallies across the country.

"There's a lot going on with that small blow-up amphibian," says LM Bogad, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on creative activism.

From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to examine demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by online communities throughout a political race.

When the meme initially spread online, people used it to convey certain emotions. Later, it was deployed to endorse a political figure, even one notable meme retweeted by that figure personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "unique frog images" and set up cryptocurrency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a shared phrase.

But the character did not originate as a political symbol.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

The frog debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. A film, which chronicles the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained his drawing was inspired by his life with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into darker parts of the internet, the creator tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that we don't control symbols," states Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

Previously, the notoriety of Pepe meant that frogs became a symbol for the right. This shifted recently, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment followed a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Demonstrators began to congregate on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and a officer used irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, quipped, stating he had tasted "something milder". But the incident became a sensation.

The frog suit fit right in for Portland, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that delight in the absurd – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which argued the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although the court ruled in October that the president had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits while voicing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she opined. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The deployment was halted by courts soon after, and troops withdrew from the area.

Yet already, the frog was now a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

This symbol appeared nationwide at No Kings protests recently. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

The inflatable suit was in high demand on major websites, and rose in price.

Shaping the Visual Story

What connects both frogs together – is the interplay between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that calls attention to a message without needing directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

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