🔗 Share this article

The resistance isn't televised, though it may feature amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

While rallies opposing the administration persist in US cities, protesters have embraced the energy of a community costume parade. They've provided dance instruction, given away snacks, and performed on unicycles, while police observe.

Combining humour and political action – a strategy experts term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. But it has become a signature characteristic of US demonstrations in recent years, used by both left and right.

And one symbol has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It began after a video of a clash between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to demonstrations across the country.

"A great deal going on with that humble frog costume," states LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on performance art.

The Path From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a web comic frog co-opted by online communities throughout a political race.

When the character first took off on the internet, it was used to express specific feelings. Subsequently, its use evolved to show support for a candidate, including one notable meme shared by the candidate himself, showing the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, as a hate group member. Online conservatives traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

But the character did not originate as a political symbol.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his unhappiness for its co-option. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in his series.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which chronicles the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he explained the character was inspired by his life with companions.

When he began, the artist experimented with uploading his work to new websites, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over icons," explains the professor. "They transform and be reworked."

Previously, the popularity of this meme meant that frogs were predominantly linked to conservative politics. But that changed in early October, when an incident between an activist wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

The moment followed a directive to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate on a single block, just outside of a federal building.

Tensions were high and a officer deployed irritant at a protester, targeting the opening of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, quipped, stating it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for Portland, renowned for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that delight in the absurd – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which contended the deployment was unlawful.

While the court ruled in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge stated. "Yet the outcome has serious implications."

The order was stopped legally soon after, and troops have reportedly departed the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had transformed into a powerful symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The costume was seen nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and global metropolises abroad.

This item was backordered on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Optics

What connects both frogs together – is the relationship between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The strategy relies on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to a message without needing obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The theory of this approach is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad explains.

When protesters take on a powerful opposition, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences