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This revolution isn't televised, yet it might possess amphibious toes and large eyes.

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

While protests opposing the government continue in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers look on.

Combining comedy and political action – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of protests in the United States in recent years, embraced by various groups.

And one symbol has risen to become especially powerful – the frog. It began after a video of a clash between a man in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, went viral. And it has since spread to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"A great deal going on with that small blow-up amphibian," says a professor, who teaches at UC Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From Pepe to Portland

It's challenging to examine protests and frogs without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character embraced by extremist movements during a political race.

When the character initially spread online, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to express backing for a political figure, including one notable meme endorsed by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a hate group member. Participants exchanged "rare Pepes" and established digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was deployed a shared phrase.

But its beginnings were not as a political symbol.

Its creator, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

The frog first appeared in an online comic in 2005 – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which follows the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he stated the character came from his time with companions.

As he started out, Mr Furie tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of online spaces, the creator sought to reject his creation, including ending its life in a comic strip.

Yet the frog persisted.

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

For a long time, the notoriety of Pepe meant that frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted recently, when a confrontation between a protestor wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon went viral.

The event followed a directive to send military personnel to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Demonstrators began to congregate on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

Emotions ran high and an agent deployed a chemical agent at a protester, targeting the air intake fan of the inflatable suit.

The individual, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that delight in the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. A local saying is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which contended the deployment overstepped authority.

While the court ruled that month that the president had the right to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning demonstrators' "propensity for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," she wrote. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The action was stopped legally just a month later, and personnel withdrew from the city.

Yet already, the frog had become a significant anti-administration symbol for the left.

The costume was seen across the country at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

This item was in high demand on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Visual Story

The link between the two amphibian symbols – lies in the relationship between the silly, innocent image and underlying political significance. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy is based on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that highlights your ideas without needing explicitly stating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol circulated.

The professor is an analyst on this topic and someone who uses these tactics. He's written a book on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

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

The idea of this approach is multi-faceted, Mr Bogad says.

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