How Right-Wing Icon to Anti-ICE Emblem: This Unexpected Transformation of the Amphibian

This protest movement may not be televised, but it could have amphibious toes and bulging eyes.

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

Whilst protests against the leadership persist in US cities, protesters are adopting the spirit of a local block party. They've provided dance instruction, handed out snacks, and ridden unicycles, as police watch.

Combining humour and politics – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. Yet it has transformed into a defining feature of US demonstrations in recent years, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

And one symbol has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began when video footage of a confrontation between a protester in a frog suit and federal officers in the city of Portland, went viral. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations throughout the United States.

"There's a lot happening with that humble frog costume," states an expert, who teaches at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It is difficult to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure embraced by online communities throughout an election cycle.

Initially, when the character initially spread online, it was used to convey certain emotions. Later, its use evolved to express backing for a candidate, even one notable meme shared by that figure personally, showing Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in certain internet forums in darker contexts, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants traded "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "feels good, man", was used a shared phrase.

But Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Matt Furie, the illustrator, has been vocal about his distaste for its co-option. The character was intended as simply a relaxed amphibian in his comic world.

This character first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. In 'Feels Good Man', which chronicles the creator's attempt to reclaim ownership of his creation, he stated the character came from his experiences with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to the nascent social web, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into fringe areas of the internet, Mr Furie attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over icons," explains Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Previously, the association of this meme meant that amphibian imagery were predominantly linked to the right. But that changed on a day in October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland went viral.

The event followed a directive to send the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, near a federal building.

Emotions ran high and an immigration officer sprayed a chemical agent at the individual, directing it into the ventilation of the costume.

Seth Todd, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, saying he had tasted "something milder". But the incident went viral.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for Portland, known for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that revel in the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

The frog was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which argued the use of troops was illegal.

While a ruling was issued in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes when expressing dissent."

"It is easy to see this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber opined. "Yet the outcome is not merely absurd."

The deployment was halted by courts just a month later, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

Yet already, the frog was now a potent symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The costume was seen in many cities at No Kings protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was backordered on online retailers, and rose in price.

Mastering the Visual Story

The link between Pepe and the protest frog – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. This is what "tactical frivolity."

The tactic is based on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that draws focus to a message without obviously explaining them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

Mr Bogad is an analyst in the subject and an experienced participant. He's written a text on the subject, and taught workshops internationally.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

As activists take on the state, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences