From Conservative Icon to Anti-ICE Symbol: This Surprising Evolution of the Amphibian

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

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

While rallies opposing the government carry on in American cities, participants are utilizing the vibe of a community costume parade. They have taught dance instruction, distributed snacks, and performed on unicycles, as officers watch.

Blending levity and politics – a tactic experts refer to as "tactical frivolity" – has historical precedent. But it has become a defining feature of American protest in this period, used by both left and right.

And one symbol has proven to be especially powerful – the frog. It originated when video footage of an encounter between an individual in an inflatable frog and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to demonstrations nationwide.

"A great deal at play with that humble frog costume," notes LM Bogad, who teaches at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

The Path From the Pepe Meme to Portland

It is difficult to discuss protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, a cartoon character co-opted by online communities throughout an election cycle.

When this image initially spread online, its purpose was to convey certain emotions. Subsequently, its use evolved to endorse a political figure, including one notable meme endorsed by the candidate personally, showing Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Pepe was also depicted in digital spaces in more extreme scenarios, portrayed as a historical dictator. Participants traded "unique frog images" and established cryptocurrency in his name. His catchphrase, "that feels good", became an inside joke.

But the character did not originate this divisive.

Its creator, the illustrator, has been vocal about his unhappiness for its appropriation. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in an online comic in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which chronicles the creator's attempt to take back of his work, he explained the character was inspired by his experiences with friends and roommates.

When he began, Mr Furie experimented with sharing his art to the nascent social web, where people online began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"It proves the lack of control over symbols," states the professor. "They transform and be reworked."

Until recently, the notoriety of this meme meant that frogs were largely associated with conservative politics. A transformation occurred in early October, when a confrontation between an activist dressed in an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment occurred shortly after a directive to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "war-ravaged". Activists began to congregate on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.

The situation was tense and a officer sprayed a chemical agent at a protester, targeting the opening of the costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, remarking it tasted like "spicier tamales". But the incident went viral.

Mr Todd's attire was somewhat typical for the city, renowned for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that revel in the unusual – outdoor exercise, retro fitness classes, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

This symbol became part of in a lawsuit between the administration and Portland, which claimed the deployment was illegal.

While a ruling was issued in October that the administration was within its rights to send personnel, one judge dissented, mentioning demonstrators' "well-known penchant for wearing chicken suits while voicing opposition."

"Observers may be tempted the majority's ruling, which adopts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," she opined. "But today's decision has serious implications."

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

Yet already, the frog had transformed into a powerful protest icon for the left.

This symbol was seen nationwide at No Kings protests last autumn. Frogs appeared – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in major US cities. They were in rural communities and big international cities like Tokyo and London.

The inflatable suit was sold out on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Shaping the Optics

The link between the two amphibian symbols – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

The strategy rests on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights a message without directly articulating them. It's the goofy costume you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert in the subject and a veteran practitioner. He's written a text called 'Tactical Performance', and taught workshops around the world.

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

The idea of this approach is three-fold, Mr Bogad explains.

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