The long history of frogs as symbols of protest

Think about it Like “Where’s Waldo?” For the anti-Trump movement: Last Saturday, when about 7 million people filled American cities for a “No to Kings” protest, many of them showed up wearing inflatable frog costumes.

The amphibians were easy to spot in the sea of ​​signs, and their inspiration was clear: They saw photos of protesters outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon, holding signs that read “Together the Frogs Are Strong” and followed suit. The meme has spread.

Since the weekend, TikTok, Instagram, Bluesky and other social media platforms have been filled with photos and videos of inflatable frogs on the streets. The TikTok store now offers “Portland Frog Protest Stickers” emblazoned with the word “Resist.” At a time when people are posting everything, acts of protest or political theater are expected to go viral. Even President Donald Trump responded to Saturday’s events by sharing an AI-generated video of himself throwing crap at American protesters from an airplane. But there’s something different about what happens with frogs. there Layers Meaning and function, from Pepe to pepper spray and beyond.

First, there is the issue of surveillance. Americans have become increasingly aware that when they protest, they are being monitored by the authorities. Dressing up as a cartoon frog or other creature makes it difficult for anyone to recognize your face. As more and more people adopt the green inflatable uniform, everyone wearing it becomes anonymous.

Then there’s the silliness factor. The costumed protesters replaced the image of black-clad protesters often demonized by Trump. In late September, as Trump sought to deploy Oregon National Guard troops to Portland in response to protests at the city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, he said “it’s chaos out there.” (A judge later blocked publication.) In 2020, Trump sent federal law enforcement officers to Portland to confront Black Lives Matter protests, and the images coming out of the city looked like chaos, even if, as WIRED wrote at the time, “what’s happening in the streets is not what you see in the tweets.” Earlier this month, the original Frogman, Seth Todd, told the New York Times that the frog costume was meant to “contradict the narrative that we are violent extremists.”

It’s also unlikely that a viewer would say “maybe the frog was worth it” if they were pepper-sprayed, says Brooks Brown, a “co-initiator” of Operation Inflate, which has been providing free inflatable costumes to protesters in the city. “You can’t do that with a frog or a unicorn or a wiener dog or SpongeBob,” Brown adds. “It breaks down people’s ability to justify the victim and the violence itself is purely visible.”

Brown is quick to credit Todd with the costume idea. When people started joining Todd in other outfits, Brown, a YouTuber, says he partnered with another streamer to start the inflation as a way to raise money to provide clothing for others. He wouldn’t say how much money they raised, but said they gave away about 300 costumes, 200 of them at the No Kings protests last weekend. Fashion is becoming more difficult for Brown to obtain, and prices are rising.