The Journey of Far-Right Icon to Anti-ICE Emblem: This Unexpected Transformation of the Amphibian

The resistance won't be televised, yet it might possess webbed feet and large eyes.

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

As demonstrations against the leadership carry on in American cities, protesters are adopting the spirit of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while police watch.

Combining humour and politics – a strategy social scientists call "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a defining feature of American protest in recent years, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It began when recordings of an encounter between a man in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in the city of Portland, spread online. It subsequently appeared to protests across the country.

"A great deal happening with that little blow-up amphibian," notes LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

From Pepe to the Streets of Portland

It's hard to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

When this image first took off on the internet, it was used to signal specific feelings. Later, it was utilized to express backing for a political figure, including one notable meme endorsed by that figure personally, portraying Pepe with a signature suit and hair.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "feels good, man", became a shared phrase.

However Pepe didn't start out so controversial.

Its creator, the illustrator, has expressed about his distaste for its co-option. Pepe was supposed to be simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

This character debuted in comic strips in 2005 – non-political and famous for a quirky behavior. A film, which documents the creator's attempt to wrest back control of his work, he stated the character came from his experiences with companions.

When he began, the artist experimented with uploading his work to the nascent social web, where the community began to borrow, remix and reinvent his character. As its popularity grew into darker parts of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a comic strip.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates the lack of control over icons," explains the professor. "Their meaning can evolve and be reworked."

Previously, the popularity of Pepe resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with conservative politics. A transformation occurred in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland, Oregon went viral.

This incident came just days after a directive to send the National Guard to Portland, which was described as "a warzone". Activists began to congregate at a specific location, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer deployed pepper spray at a protester, aiming directly into the opening of the puffy frog costume.

The protester, the man in the costume, quipped, saying he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

The frog suit was not too unusual for the city, famous for its unconventional spirit and activist demonstrations that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog was also referenced in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and Portland, which argued the deployment was unlawful.

Although a judge decided in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, referencing in her ruling the protesters' "known tendency for donning inflatable costumes while voicing dissent."

"Some might view the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge wrote. "But today's decision has serious implications."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops are said to have left the area.

Yet already, the amphibian costume had transformed into a powerful anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

This symbol was spotted nationwide at No Kings protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and big international cities abroad.

The frog costume was backordered on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Narrative

What connects both frogs together – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that draws focus to a message without needing directly articulating them. This is the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.

The professor is an analyst in the subject and someone who uses these tactics. He authored a book called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars around the world.

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, absurd humor is used to speak the truth indirectly and still have plausible deniability."

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

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