How Far-Right Symbol to Anti-ICE Symbol: The Remarkable Story of the Amphibian

The protest movement won't be televised, yet it might possess amphibious toes and protruding eyes.

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

Whilst rallies opposing the administration persist in US cities, participants are adopting the spirit of a neighborhood dress-up party. They have taught dance instruction, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while police watch.

Combining comedy and political action – a tactic social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of protests in the United States in the current era, embraced by various groups.

A specific icon has risen to become particularly salient – the frog. It began after a video of an encounter between a man in an amphibian costume and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, spread online. It subsequently appeared to demonstrations across the country.

"There's a lot at play with that small inflatable frog," says LM Bogad, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies performance art.

From a Cartoon Frog to the Streets of Portland

It's challenging to discuss protests and frogs without mentioning Pepe, a web comic frog embraced by far-right groups throughout a previous presidential campaign.

When this image first took off on the internet, its purpose was to signal certain emotions. Subsequently, its use evolved to show support for a political figure, including a particular image endorsed by the candidate himself, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Online conservatives exchanged "unique frog images" and established digital currency in his name. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed an inside joke.

Yet Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has expressed about his distaste for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply an apolitical figure in his series.

The frog first appeared in comic strips in the mid-2000s – non-political and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In 'Feels Good Man', which documents the creator's attempt to take back of his creation, he stated his drawing came from his time with companions.

As he started out, the artist experimented with sharing his art to early internet platforms, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As Pepe spread into darker parts of online spaces, Mr Furie sought to reject his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own symbols," states Prof Bogad. "They can change and shift and be reclaimed."

Previously, the popularity of Pepe meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for the right. But that changed in early October, when a viral moment between a protestor wearing an inflatable frog costume and a federal agent in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment occurred shortly after a directive to send the National Guard to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to congregate on a single block, just outside of an ICE office.

Emotions ran high and a officer used a chemical agent at the individual, targeting the ventilation of the inflatable suit.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, quipped, saying he had tasted "something milder". However, the video became a sensation.

The frog suit was somewhat typical for the city, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that embrace the unusual – public yoga, retro fitness classes, and unique parades. Its creed is "Embrace the Strange."

This symbol became part of in subsequent court proceedings between the federal government and the city, which contended the deployment overstepped authority.

Although a judge decided in October that the president had the right to send personnel, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "propensity for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."

"It is easy to see the majority's ruling, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber opined. "However, this ruling has serious implications."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and troops withdrew from the city.

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

The inflatable suit was spotted across the country at anti-authoritarian protests recently. Amphibian costumes were present – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

The frog costume was sold out on major websites, and became more expensive.

Mastering the Narrative

The link between both frogs together – is the dynamic between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach relies on what the professor calls a "disarming display" – usually humorous, it's a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to your ideas without needing obviously explaining them. This is the silly outfit used, or the meme you share.

Mr Bogad 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.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and while maintaining plausible deniability."

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

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