This revolution won't be broadcast, yet it might possess webbed feet and large eyes.
It also might feature the horn of a unicorn or a chicken's feathers.
While demonstrations against the administration continue in American cities, protesters have embraced the vibe of a community costume parade. They've provided salsa lessons, given away snacks, and ridden unicycles, as police look on.
Blending levity and political action – a tactic experts call "tactical frivolity" – is not new. Yet it has transformed into a hallmark of protests in the United States in this period, used by both left and right.
A specific icon has proven to be notably significant – the frog. It originated after video footage of an encounter between a man in a frog suit and federal officers in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. And it has since spread to demonstrations throughout the United States.
"There is much going on with that small frog costume," states a professor, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who specialises in creative activism.
It's challenging to discuss demonstrations and amphibians without addressing Pepe, a cartoon character adopted by extremist movements during an election cycle.
When the character initially spread on the internet, its purpose was to convey specific feelings. Subsequently, its use evolved to endorse a candidate, including one notable meme endorsed by that figure himself, portraying the frog with recognizable attire and hairstyle.
The frog was also portrayed in right-wing online communities in offensive ways, as a historical dictator. Participants traded "rare Pepes" and established cryptocurrency using its likeness. Its famous line, "that feels good", was deployed an inside joke.
Yet Pepe didn't start out this divisive.
The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has been vocal about his disapproval for its co-option. The character was intended as simply an apolitical figure in this artist's universe.
This character 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 wrest back control of his work, he stated the character came from his experiences with friends and roommates.
Early in his career, the artist tried sharing his art to the nascent social web, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. As Pepe spread into the more extreme corners of the internet, the creator attempted to distance himself from his creation, including ending its life in a final panel.
However, its legacy continued.
"It proves that we don't control icons," explains Prof Bogad. "Their meaning can evolve and be reclaimed."
Until recently, the popularity of this meme resulted in amphibian imagery were largely associated with the right. But that changed recently, when an incident between a protestor dressed in an inflatable frog costume and an immigration officer in Portland went viral.
The event followed an order to deploy military personnel to the city, which was described as "a warzone". Demonstrators began to assemble in large numbers on a single block, just outside of an immigration enforcement facility.
Emotions ran high and an immigration officer used irritant at the individual, aiming directly into the ventilation of the costume.
The protester, Seth Todd, quipped, remarking it tasted like "something milder". However, the video spread everywhere.
The frog suit fit right in for the city, famous for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that delight in the ridiculous – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and unique parades. A local saying is "Keep Portland Weird."
This symbol was also referenced in the ensuing legal battle between the administration and Portland, which argued the deployment was unlawful.
Although the court ruled in October that the president was within its rights to deploy troops, a dissenting judge wrote, noting in her opinion demonstrators' "propensity for using unusual attire while voicing dissent."
"Observers may be tempted the court's opinion, which adopts the government's characterization as a battlefield, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge stated. "But today's decision has serious implications."
The action was "permanently" blocked just a month later, and personnel are said to have left the city.
But by then, the frog had become a potent protest icon for the left.
The costume appeared nationwide at anti-authoritarian protests recently. There were frogs – and unicorns and axolotls and dinosaurs – in San Diego and Atlanta and Boston. They were in small towns and big international cities abroad.
The inflatable suit was in high demand on major websites, and rose in price.
What connects the two amphibian symbols – is the interplay between the humorous, benign cartoon and a deeper political meaning. This concept is "tactical frivolity."
This approach is based on what the professor calls the "irresistible image" – usually humorous, it's a "appealing and non-threatening" performance that highlights a cause without directly articulating them. It's the unusual prop used, or the meme circulated.
Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He authored a text called 'Tactical Performance', and led seminars internationally.
"One can look back to historical periods – under oppressive regimes, they use absurdity to speak the truth a little bit and still have plausible deniability."
The purpose of this approach is three-fold, he explains.
As activists take on authority, humorous attire {takes control of|seizes|influences
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