The Journey of Far-Right Symbol to Anti-ICE Emblem: The Remarkable Transformation of the Amphibian

This protest movement may not be televised, though it may feature amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

It also might feature a unicorn's horn or a chicken's feathers.

While demonstrations against the government carry on in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the vibe of a local block party. They have taught salsa lessons, distributed treats, and performed on unicycles, while police observe.

Combining comedy and political action – a strategy researchers call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. But it has become a defining feature of protests in the United States in this period, adopted by both left and right.

A specific icon has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began when a video of an encounter between a man in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. From there, it proliferated to protests nationwide.

"There is much happening with that small blow-up amphibian," notes an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who specialises in performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It is difficult to examine demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by extremist movements throughout an election cycle.

As the meme initially spread on the internet, its purpose was to express specific feelings. Afterwards, its use evolved to show support for a candidate, even one notable meme endorsed by that figure himself, depicting the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a hate group member. Users traded "rare Pepes" and set up cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed a shared phrase.

However its beginnings were not so controversial.

The artist behind it, the illustrator, has stated about his distaste for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in his series.

Pepe debuted in a series of comics in the mid-2000s – non-political and notable for a particular bathroom habit. A film, which chronicles Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his creation, he explained his drawing came from his experiences with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where the community began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into darker parts of the internet, Mr Furie sought to reject the frog, including ending its life in a comic strip.

However, its legacy continued.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own imagery," says the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be repurposed."

For a long time, the popularity of this meme resulted in frogs became a symbol for the right. But that changed in early October, when an incident between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland captured global attention.

This incident occurred shortly after an order to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to assemble in large numbers outside a facility, near an ICE office.

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

The individual, the man in the costume, responded with a joke, remarking it tasted like "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The costume was not too unusual for the city, famous for its quirky culture and left-wing protests that delight in the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol became part of in a lawsuit between the federal government and the city, which argued the deployment overstepped authority.

While the court ruled that month that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning demonstrators' "well-known penchant for donning inflatable costumes when expressing dissent."

"Some might view this decision, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "But today's decision goes beyond absurdity."

The action was halted by courts soon after, and personnel have reportedly departed the city.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume had become a powerful symbol of resistance for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit was spotted in many cities at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in rural communities and global metropolises like Tokyo and London.

This item was backordered on online retailers, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Narrative

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

The tactic is based on what the professor terms the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that highlights a message without obviously explaining them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol circulated.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and a veteran practitioner. He's written a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.

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

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

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