🔗 Share this article

This revolution won't be televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

As rallies opposing the leadership carry on in US cities, participants are utilizing the vibe of a local block party. They have taught dance instruction, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, as police watch.

Blending levity and politics – an approach experts term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a hallmark of protests in the United States in the current era, used by various groups.

One particular emblem has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It started after recordings of an encounter between a man in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. It subsequently appeared to rallies across the country.

"There is much happening with that humble frog costume," notes a professor, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who focuses on performance art.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure adopted by far-right groups throughout an election cycle.

When this image first took off on the internet, its purpose was to express certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to show support for a political figure, including one notable meme retweeted by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, portrayed as a hate group member. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was deployed a coded signal.

Yet the character did not originate as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has stated about his disapproval for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his comic world.

Pepe first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and best known for a quirky behavior. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he said the character came from his life with companions.

As he started out, the artist experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie tried to disavow the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that we don't control imagery," says the professor. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

For a long time, the popularity of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to conservative politics. But that changed in early October, when a viral moment between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The event followed a decision to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

Tensions were high and an immigration officer used pepper spray at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

The individual, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". However, the video went viral.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that embrace the absurd – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which claimed the use of troops overstepped authority.

Although a judge decided in October that the administration had the right to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning the protesters' "propensity for donning inflatable costumes when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The action was stopped legally soon after, and personnel withdrew from the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had transformed into a potent protest icon for progressive movements.

This symbol appeared in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests last autumn. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was sold out on major websites, and rose in price.

Shaping the Narrative

What connects the two amphibian symbols – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" display that draws focus to a cause without needing directly articulating them. It's the goofy costume used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

As activists confront a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences