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This revolution won't be broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and protruding eyes.

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

While demonstrations opposing the leadership persist in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the spirit of a local block party. They've offered dance instruction, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement look on.

Mixing comedy and politics – a strategy experts call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in the current era, adopted by both left and right.

One particular emblem has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began when recordings of a confrontation between an individual in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. From there, it proliferated to rallies throughout the United States.

"A great deal happening with that small blow-up amphibian," says an expert, a professor at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in political performance.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to examine protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by extremist movements throughout a political race.

Initially, when the meme initially spread online, people used it to signal specific feelings. Subsequently, its use evolved to express backing for a candidate, even one notable meme endorsed by the candidate himself, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became a coded signal.

But the character did not originate as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his work, he explained his drawing was inspired by his life with companions.

Early in his career, the artist experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves that we don't control symbols," explains Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be repurposed."

For a long time, the association of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. But that changed on a day in October, when an incident between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon spread rapidly online.

The event occurred shortly after a directive to send the National Guard to Portland, which was called "a warzone". Protesters began to gather in droves outside a facility, near an immigration enforcement facility.

Tensions were high and an immigration officer deployed pepper spray at a protester, targeting the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, quipped, remarking he had tasted "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for the city, known for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that delight in the ridiculous – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which argued the deployment was illegal.

Although a ruling was issued in October that the administration had the right to send personnel, one judge dissented, noting in her opinion the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire when expressing opposition."

"It is easy to see this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge wrote. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The order was stopped legally subsequently, and personnel withdrew from the area.

Yet already, the frog was now a powerful anti-administration symbol for the left.

The inflatable suit was seen in many cities at No Kings protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They appeared in small towns and big international cities abroad.

The inflatable suit was sold out on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Narrative

What brings Pepe and the protest frog – is the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what Mr Bogad terms the "irresistible image" – often silly, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that draws focus to your ideas without needing obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

When activists confront a powerful opposition, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences