Inflatable frogs have flooded the streets of the United States, and why have they become a symbol of recent protests in America?

On October 18 local time, anti-Trump "No Kings" rallies were held again in multiple areas of the United States. Organizers estimated that about 7 million people participated in the related protest activities nationwide.

Notably, many protesters wore inflatable costumes in the procession, especially frog suits, and many people also held signs with frog images.

Why have these frogs become a symbolic figure in recent American protests?

This may trace back to Trump's immigration enforcement actions. A series of "tough sweeps" have caused dissatisfaction and backlash across the United States, including in Portland, the largest city in Oregon.

Portland is known as a "sanctuary city," meaning that the local government is less likely to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement actions. 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 Kings" rally, thousands of people marched in Portland, and some protesters clashed with federal law enforcement officers outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. Since then, protesters in Portland have regularly held events outside the facility.

On September 27, Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard to Portland, but it was blocked by a federal judge. He threatened again on October 7 to consider invoking the Insurrection Act to send troops to Portland and Chicago under emergency powers.

According to Axios, Seth Todd, 24, was the first person to wear an inflatable frog suit to protest the government's immigration policies.

On the night of October 2, while attending a rally in Portland, Todd was ambushed by law enforcement officers, and pepper spray was sprayed into the ventilation port of his inflatable suit behind him. This video later spread widely on American social platforms, with over 1.5 million views. (Figure 3)

Since then, protesters participating in "No Kings" rallies and demonstrations outside ICE facilities across the United States have taken frogs as a symbol of resistance. Some people call this frog the "Portland Freedom Frog."

According to The Oregonian, within a few days, the image of inflatable frogs increased exponentially in Portland's protests. This led to the creation of an organization called "Operation Inflation," which provided over 100 free inflatable suits for protesters.

The report analyzed that funny 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 "ravaged by war." People wearing inflatable frog suits use this way to mock what they see as government overreach.

"This is to break the narrative of the Trump administration - they say we are extremely violent. In fact, it's not true, we are protesting, but with a sense of humor," Todd explained his view when interviewed by France's Le Monde earlier.

Joy Wilson, a Portland resident, believes that frogs have become a symbol of nonviolent protests.

The Oregonian noted that before the start of the second round of "No King" rallies on the 18th, inflatable frog suits had become a hot item, and on many online platforms, they were in pre-sale and difficult to find in stock.

On October 18, more than 10,000 people participated in a "No Kings" rally in downtown Atlanta, the capital of Georgia. Local media "Georgia Recorder" found that many people dressed in frog-like appearances, including Amanda Solberg-Bowen.

When talking about her costume, she said: "Someone just mentioned that this is a way to express our position and obviously non-violent - a kind of 'disarmed' presence."

Not only frogs, but American protesters inspired by this also dress up as dinosaurs or other cartoon characters.

Jordy Johnson, one of the organizers of "Operation Inflation," told KOIN TV, a CBS affiliate, "We want to clearly indicate that this is not a war zone. If he (Trump) wants to invoke the Insurrection Act, he should point to those inflatable chickens, inflatable frogs, and inflatable unicorns."

According to The Washington Post, before the large-scale protest activities on the 18th, organizers stated that they had trained "tens of thousands" to avoid friction with law enforcement and opponents of the protests. A statement on the "No Kings" website said that no weapons of any kind should be brought to the rallies.

During the first round of "No Kings" marches 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 protesters throwing stones and other items at the police. A shooting incident occurred during a mass march in Salt Lake City's downtown, where security personnel shot a gun-carrying suspect who ran into the crowd, accidentally injuring a bystander who died.

For this "No Kings" protest, some Republican-led states emphasized that they would be on high alert. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he would deploy state National Guard forces in Austin to "increase strength," and coordinate with Texas Rangers and the Department of Public Safety. Abbott said these forces would "receive support from aircraft and other tactical equipment."

However, according to The Washington Post, until the evening of the 18th, large-scale gatherings across the country remained largely 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.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846422740378627/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.