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The revolution isn't televised, though it may feature webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

While protests opposing the leadership persist in American cities, participants are adopting the energy of a local block party. They have taught salsa lessons, handed out snacks, and performed on unicycles, while armed law enforcement look on.

Combining levity and politics – a strategy researchers call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of US demonstrations in this period, embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It began after recordings of a confrontation between a protester in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to rallies across the country.

"A great deal going on with that small frog costume," notes an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who focuses on political performance.

The Path From Pepe to Portland

It's hard to examine protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by extremist movements throughout a political race.

As the character initially spread online, its purpose was to convey specific feelings. Subsequently, it was utilized to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became an inside joke.

Yet its beginnings were not this divisive.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his comic world.

The frog debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and notable for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which follows the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he said the character came from his life with friends and roommates.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It shows that we don't control icons," explains Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."

For a long time, the association of Pepe resulted in frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. But that changed on a day in October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The event followed a directive to send military personnel to the city, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to congregate outside a facility, just outside of a federal building.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer used a chemical agent at a protester, aiming directly into the opening of the costume.

The protester, Seth Todd, responded with a joke, saying he had tasted "spicier tamales". Yet the footage went viral.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for Portland, famous for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

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

While the court ruled in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion the protesters' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," the dissenting judge wrote. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The action was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and personnel are said to have left the city.

However, by that time, the frog had transformed into a potent protest icon for the left.

This symbol appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Visual Story

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

This approach is based on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that calls attention to a message without explicitly stating them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of this approach is three-fold, he explains.

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