How Conservative Symbol to Anti-ICE Icon: The Surprising Evolution of the Amphibian

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

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

While demonstrations opposing the government continue in US cities, protesters are utilizing the energy of a neighborhood dress-up party. They've provided dance instruction, given away treats, and ridden unicycles, while officers observe.

Mixing comedy and politics – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. Yet it has transformed into a signature characteristic of American protest in this period, adopted by all sides of the political spectrum.

A specific icon has emerged as especially powerful – the frog. It began after recordings of an encounter between a protester in an inflatable frog and federal officers in the city of Portland, spread online. And it has since spread to demonstrations across the country.

"There is much happening with that small blow-up amphibian," notes LM Bogad, who teaches at UC Davis and a Guggenheim Fellow who focuses on performance art.

The Path From a Cartoon Frog to Portland

It's challenging to talk about protests and frogs without talking about Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by far-right groups throughout a political race.

Initially, when the meme first took off on the internet, it was used to convey certain emotions. Subsequently, it was deployed to endorse a candidate, including a particular image retweeted by the candidate personally, portraying Pepe with recognizable attire and hairstyle.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in darker contexts, portrayed as a hate group member. Users exchanged "unique frog images" and established digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", became a coded signal.

But its beginnings were not so controversial.

Matt Furie, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a "chill frog-dude" in this artist's universe.

The frog first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and notable for a quirky behavior. A film, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to reclaim ownership of his creation, he said his drawing came from his life with companions.

When he began, the artist tried uploading his work to the nascent social web, where other users began to borrow, remix and reinvent the frog. As its popularity grew into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator sought to reject his creation, even killing him off in a final panel.

Yet the frog persisted.

"This demonstrates that creators cannot own imagery," states Prof Bogad. "They transform and be reworked."

Until recently, the association of Pepe meant that frogs became a symbol for conservative politics. But that changed on a day in October, when an incident between an activist wearing a blow-up amphibian suit and a federal agent in Portland captured global attention.

The event followed a directive to send military personnel to the city, which was described as "war-ravaged". Protesters began to gather in droves on a single block, near an ICE office.

The situation was tense and an immigration officer used irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the puffy frog costume.

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

Mr Todd's attire was not too unusual for Portland, famous for its unconventional spirit and left-wing protests that delight in the absurd – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog became part of in the ensuing legal battle between the federal government and the city, which contended the deployment was illegal.

While a judge decided in October that the president was within its rights to send personnel, a dissenting judge wrote, mentioning demonstrators' "propensity for using unusual attire when expressing dissent."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which adopts the description of Portland as a war zone, as merely absurd," Judge Susan Graber wrote. "However, this ruling goes beyond absurdity."

The order was halted by courts soon after, and personnel have reportedly departed the area.

But by then, the amphibian costume had become a significant protest icon for progressive movements.

The inflatable suit appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests recently. There were frogs – along with other creatures – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and big international cities abroad.

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

Controlling the Optics

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the interplay between the silly, innocent image and a deeper political meaning. This is what "tactical frivolity."

This approach rests on what Mr Bogad terms a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "disarming and charming" performance that calls attention to a cause without needing obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.

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

"You could go back to the Middle Ages – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth indirectly and still have a layer of protection."

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

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