🔗 Share this article

This protest movement won't be broadcast, though it may feature amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

While protests opposing the administration carry on in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the spirit of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while officers look on.

Blending humour and politics – a strategy experts call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a hallmark of US demonstrations in the current era, adopted by both left and right.

And one symbol has emerged as particularly salient – the frog. It originated when recordings of an encounter between a protester in a frog suit and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, went viral. And it has since spread to rallies across the country.

"There's a lot happening with that humble blow-up amphibian," notes an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who studies creative activism.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by extremist movements during a political race.

As the meme gained popularity online, people used it to express specific feelings. Subsequently, its use evolved to show support for a political figure, including one notable meme endorsed by the candidate himself, depicting Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants traded "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", was used a coded signal.

However Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he said his drawing came from his time with friends and roommates.

When he began, the artist tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As Pepe spread into fringe areas of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It shows the lack of control over symbols," explains the professor. "They transform and be repurposed."

Until recently, the notoriety of Pepe meant that frogs were predominantly linked to the right. A transformation occurred recently, when a viral moment between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment came just days after an order to send military personnel to Portland, which was called "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to congregate at a specific location, near a federal building.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer deployed irritant at the individual, targeting the opening of the inflatable suit.

The individual, Seth Todd, quipped, remarking it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident spread everywhere.

The costume was somewhat typical for the city, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops was illegal.

While a judge decided that month that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she wrote. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The action was halted by courts soon after, and troops are said to have left the area.

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

The inflatable suit was seen 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 small towns and big international cities abroad.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Optics

What connects the two amphibian symbols – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that highlights a cause without obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth a little bit and still have a layer of protection."

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

As activists confront the state, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences