Notably, many demonstrators in the group were wearing inflatable costumes, especially frog suits, and many held signs with images of frogs.
Why have frogs become a symbolic emblem of recent protests in the United States?
On October 18 local time, in Los Angeles, California, USA, demonstrators wore inflatable frog suits at the "No King" rally. Oriental IC
This may trace back to Trump's immigration enforcement actions. A series of "tough sweeps" have sparked dissatisfaction and backlash across the U.S., including Portland, the largest city in Oregon.
Portland is known as a "sanctuary city," meaning that local authorities are less likely to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. On the other hand, the unofficial slogan "Keep Portland Weird" highlights the city's alternative and unique culture.
In June this year, during the first "No King" rally, thousands marched in Portland, with some demonstrators clashing with federal law enforcement outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. Since then, protesters in Portland have regularly held events outside this facility.
On October 18 local time, in San Francisco, California, USA, a sign reading "Frog Kicks Off the Crown" appeared at the "No King" protest. Oriental IC
On September 27, Trump announced deploying the National Guard to Portland, but it was blocked by a federal judge. He again threatened on October 7 to consider invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy the military to Portland and Chicago.
According to media Axios, Seth Todd, 24, was the first person to wear an inflatable frog suit to protest the government's immigration policy.
On the night of October 2, Todd was ambushed by law enforcement while attending a rally in Portland, with a large amount of pepper spray sprayed into the ventilation opening of his inflatable suit. This video later went viral on American social platforms, with over 1.5 million views.
Screenshot of Todd being sprayed with pepper spray from the ventilation opening of his inflatable suit
Since then, demonstrators participating in the "No King" rallies and protests outside ICE facilities across the U.S. have increasingly adopted frogs as a symbol of resistance. Some people call this frog the "Portland Freedom Frog."
According to The Oregonian, within days, the image of inflatable frogs increased exponentially in Portland's protests. This also gave rise to an organization called "Operation Inflation," which provided over 100 free inflatable suits for protesters.
The report analyzed that humorous costumes like frogs often weaken hostile emotions, and the light-hearted and humorous scenes at the rallies contrast sharply with Trump's description of Portland as a city "devastated by war." People wearing inflatable frog suits use this method to satirize what they see as government overreach.
On October 18 local time, demonstrators in Portland. The Willamette Week
"This is to break Trump's narrative - they say we are extreme and violent. Actually, we are just protesting, but with a sense of humor," said Todd when he spoke to French newspaper Le Monde.
Joy Wilson, a Portland resident, believes that frogs have become a symbol of nonviolent protests.
The Oregonian noted that in the days before the start of the "No King" 2.0 rally on the 18th, inflatable frog suits had become highly sought after, and were pre-sold on many online platforms, making them hard to find in stock.
On October 18, more than 10,000 people participated in the "No King" rally in downtown Atlanta, the capital of Georgia. Local media "Georgia Recorder" found that many people dressed as frogs, including Amanda Solberg-Bowen.
When talking about her costume, she said: "Someone mentioned that this is a way to express our position and be clearly nonviolent - a form of 'disarmament' existence."
On October 18, citizens in San Francisco, California, participated in the "No King" protest wearing inflatable costumes. Oriental IC
It's not only frogs; inspired American demonstrators also dress as dinosaurs or other cartoon characters.
Jordy Johnson, one of the organizers of "Operation Inflation," told KOIN, a CBS affiliate, "We want to make it clear that this is not a war zone. If he (Trump) wants to invoke the Insurrection Act, he should point to those people in inflatable chickens, frogs, and unicorns."
According to The Washington Post, organizers stated that they had trained "tens of thousands" before the large-scale protests on the 18th to avoid friction with law enforcement and opponents of the protests. A statement on the "No King" website said that no weapons of any kind should be brought to the rallies.
During the first round of "No King" demonstrations in June, although most were peaceful, there were still some violent incidents that led to several arrests. There were conflicts at some protest sites, with demonstrators throwing stones and other items at the police. During a mass march in the center of Salt Lake City, a shooting occurred, and security personnel fired at a gun-carrying suspect who ran into the crowd, accidentally killing a bystander.
For this "No King" protest, some Republican-controlled states emphasized that they would be on high alert. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he would deploy the state National Guard in Austin "to increase forces," and coordinate with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers. Abbott said these troops would "receive support from aircraft and other tactical equipment."
However, according to The Washington Post, until late on the 18th, large-scale gatherings across the country remained peaceful. Many places were filled with a street carnival atmosphere. Both New York and Washington police said on Saturday afternoon that they had not arrested anyone related to the protests.
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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7562852683032330762/
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