🔗 Share this article

This protest movement won't be broadcast, yet it might possess amphibious toes and large eyes.

Additionally, it could include a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

While protests opposing the government carry on in American cities, protesters have embraced the spirit of a community costume parade. They've provided dance instruction, handed out treats, and ridden unicycles, while armed law enforcement watch.

Mixing humour and political action – a strategy researchers call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. However, it has emerged as a defining feature of American protest in recent years, adopted by both left and right.

A specific icon has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It started when recordings of a clash between a man in a frog suit and ICE agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There's a lot at play with that little inflatable frog," states LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in creative activism.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by extremist movements throughout a political race.

Initially, when the meme first took off online, its purpose was to convey certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a political figure, even a particular image endorsed by that figure personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in right-wing online communities in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants exchanged "unique frog images" and set up digital currency in his name. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was used a coded signal.

Yet Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Its creator, the illustrator, has expressed about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

Pepe debuted in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which follows the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he explained his drawing came from his life with friends and roommates.

As he started out, the artist tried sharing his art to early internet platforms, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"It proves the lack of control over symbols," says the professor. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Until recently, the association of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with conservative politics. This shifted in early October, when a confrontation between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland, Oregon captured global attention.

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

Emotions ran high and an agent used pepper spray at the individual, targeting the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "something milder". But the incident went viral.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, known for its eccentric vibe and activist demonstrations that embrace the ridiculous – public yoga, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The costume became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which contended the use of troops overstepped authority.

While a judge decided in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, mentioning demonstrators' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits when expressing dissent."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "But today's decision is not merely absurd."

The action was stopped legally subsequently, and troops withdrew from the city.

Yet already, the frog had transformed into a significant anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

This symbol 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 were in small towns and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

The frog costume was in high demand on major websites, and saw its cost increase.

Controlling the Optics

What connects Pepe and the protest frog – is the relationship between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what the professor terms a "disarming display" – frequently absurd, it acts as a "disarming and charming" display that calls attention to a message without needing directly articulating them. This is the silly outfit you wear, or the symbol circulated.

The professor is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

The idea of such tactics is multi-faceted, he says.

When protesters take on authority, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences