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This protest movement may not be televised, though it may feature amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

While protests against the administration persist in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the spirit of a community costume parade. They've offered dance instruction, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, while police observe.

Blending comedy and politics – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in the current era, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It originated when a video of a clash between a man in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. From there, it proliferated to rallies nationwide.

"There is much at play with that small inflatable frog," notes an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to examine demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by extremist movements during a previous presidential campaign.

Initially, when this image gained popularity on the internet, its purpose was to convey specific feelings. Afterwards, it was utilized to express backing for a political figure, even a particular image shared by that figure personally, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

But its beginnings were not so controversial.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has expressed about his disapproval for how the image has been used. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

The frog first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – apolitical and famous for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which follows Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he explained the character was inspired by his experiences with companions.

When he began, the artist experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves the lack of control over symbols," explains Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

For a long time, the association of Pepe meant that frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. But that changed recently, when an incident between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The event occurred shortly after a directive to deploy the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and an agent sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the opening of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "spicier tamales". Yet the footage became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for the city, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol was also referenced in a lawsuit between the administration 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, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "known tendency for using unusual attire while voicing their disagreement."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber opined. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was halted by courts subsequently, and troops withdrew from the city.

Yet already, the frog had become a potent protest icon for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was spotted in many cities at No Kings protests that fall. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was backordered on major websites, and rose in price.

Controlling the Visual Story

What connects both frogs together – is the interplay between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic relies on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" act that highlights a cause without explicitly stating them. This is the silly outfit used, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book on the subject, and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The theory of such tactics is three-fold, he explains.

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