The revolution will not be televised, but it might have webbed feet and bulging eyes.
As protests against the Trump administration surged in various US cities, demonstrators adopted a mix of humor and seriousness, creating a unique atmosphere reminiscent of a community costume parade. This mix of tactics, termed tactical frivolity by social scientists, is becoming a hallmark of contemporary protest culture.
Among the emerging symbols of this movement is the frog, notably after a viral video captured a protester in a frog suit facing off with immigration enforcement in Portland, Oregon. LM Bogad, a UC Davis professor specializing in performance art, notes that the interpretation of symbols like the frog is subject to change and reinterpretation.
As protests and social movements evolve, the frog's dual representation, moving from associations with Pepe the Frog — a character that was co-opted by far-right groups in 2016 — to a beacon of the anti-ICE protests, highlights this transition in collective symbolism.
The turning point came on October 2 when protesters gathered to express their dissent against immigration enforcement. The sight of a protester in a frog suit, humorously deflecting chemical agents sprayed by immigration officers, shifted the narrative around frog imagery in protests entirely. The costume provided a humorous counter to serious political tensions, embodying how protest tactics can evolve.
By late October, inflatables adorned protests across the nation. Some activists even banded together to form Operation Inflation, which aimed to distribute inflatable costumes to further the ethos of peaceful protest and subvert violent narratives related to demonstrations.
This evolution of the frog symbolizes how protest imagery can transcend its origins, taking on a new life in the realm of political expression. As various social justice movements pick up this symbol, what began as a meme has transformed into a significant element in shaping the discourse around protest and resistance.
