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This revolution won't be televised, though it may feature webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

Whilst rallies opposing the leadership carry on in US cities, participants are utilizing the spirit of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, given away treats, and performed on unicycles, as officers look on.

Mixing comedy and politics – an approach researchers term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a hallmark of protests in the United States in recent years, adopted by both left and right.

One particular emblem has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It originated after video footage of a confrontation between a man in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. And it has since spread to protests throughout the United States.

"There is much happening with that humble blow-up amphibian," notes an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in political performance.

The Path From Pepe to Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by far-right groups during a political race.

As the character initially spread on the internet, it was used to convey specific feelings. Later, it was deployed to show support for a political figure, including a particular image endorsed by the candidate personally, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "unique frog images" and established digital currency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

Yet its beginnings were not this divisive.

Its creator, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

Pepe debuted in an online comic in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which chronicles the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he explained the character was inspired by his time with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of the internet, the creator sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"It shows that we don't control icons," says Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

Previously, the popularity of this meme meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. This shifted recently, when an incident between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland went viral.

This incident followed a directive to deploy military personnel to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Protesters began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, near a federal building.

Emotions ran high and an agent sprayed irritant at the individual, directing it into the opening of the costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, quipped, saying he had tasted "something milder". But the incident spread everywhere.

The frog suit fit right in for Portland, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which argued the deployment was illegal.

While a judge decided that month that the president had the right to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits while voicing dissent."

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

The action was stopped legally subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the city.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had transformed into a powerful symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The costume was spotted nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

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

Controlling the Optics

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy is based on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" display that draws focus to your ideas without explicitly stating them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

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

When protesters confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences