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This revolution may not be broadcast, but it could have webbed feet and bulging eyes.

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

As demonstrations opposing the leadership persist in US cities, demonstrators have embraced the spirit of a community costume parade. They've provided dance instruction, handed out treats, and performed on unicycles, while officers observe.

Blending comedy and political action – an approach social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in recent years, adopted by various groups.

And one symbol has risen to become notably significant – the frog. It originated after a video of a clash between an individual in an inflatable frog and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"A great deal happening with that small inflatable frog," notes LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on political performance.

From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by far-right groups throughout a political race.

Initially, when this image initially spread on the internet, its purpose was to convey certain emotions. Afterwards, its use evolved to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by that figure himself, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in darker contexts, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants traded "unique frog images" and established digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

Yet Pepe didn't start out as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his distaste for its appropriation. Pepe was supposed to be simply an apolitical figure in his series.

This character debuted in a series of comics in 2005 – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he stated the character was inspired by his life with companions.

Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to new websites, where people online began to copy, alter, and reinterpret the frog. As its popularity grew 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.

"It proves the lack of control over icons," says the professor. "They transform and be repurposed."

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event came just days after a decision to send the National Guard to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and an agent used pepper spray at a protester, aiming directly into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "something milder". But the incident became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for Portland, known for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the absurd – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume became part of in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which argued the deployment was unlawful.

Although the court ruled in October that the administration was within its rights to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling demonstrators' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as merely absurd," she stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."

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

But by then, the frog had transformed into a potent symbol of resistance for the left.

The costume appeared in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

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

Shaping the Optics

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and underlying political significance. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what Mr Bogad calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "disarming and charming" act that highlights your ideas without directly articulating them. This is the unusual prop used, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

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

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