The plague of frog costumes demonstrates the subversive power of play in protests
On October 18, 2025, the streets of Portland, Oregon, were alive with color and whimsy as demonstrators donned inflatable frog costumes during the “No Kings” protest against immigration enforcement. This playful yet poignant display was sparked by a troubling incident where an ICE agent deployed pepper spray into the air vent of a protester’s inflatable frog costume, an event that quickly gained traction on social media. As the center of anti-immigration protests shifted to Charlotte, North Carolina, so too did the frogs, marking a unique evolution in protest tactics. The use of inflatable costumes has become emblematic of a broader movement that seeks to soften the often aggressive narrative surrounding protests, particularly in an era when Republican officials labeled demonstrators as “violent” and “Antifa.” The absurdity of wearing a frog suit creates a stark contrast to the serious issues at hand, rendering it nearly impossible for law enforcement to justify an aggressive response.
The rise of inflatable costumes at protests can be traced back to activists like Seth Todd, who embraced the absurdity of his frog costume as a means to appear less threatening in the face of heightened law enforcement tactics. Todd emphasized that nothing about his outfit screamed extremism or violence, reflecting a growing trend among protesters to adopt humorous, lighthearted approaches in their activism. This tactic not only invites broader participation—particularly from those hesitant to engage in confrontational protests—but also serves as a protective measure against potential police aggression. The costumes have become a symbol of accessibility and cultural relevance, with many first-time protesters joining in the fun. The Portland Frog Brigade and Operation Inflation have emerged as grassroots initiatives aimed at distributing these whimsical costumes, reinforcing the idea that protest can be both serious and playful.
Historically, the use of inflatable and costume-based tactics in protests is not new. From the giant “Trump chicken” outside the White House in 2017 to the “Trump baby” blimp that floated over London during the president’s state visit, the tradition of using humor and absurdity as forms of dissent is well established. This approach has roots in various activist movements, including the Bread and Puppet Theater’s satirical performances against the Vietnam War and the colorful antics of the Raging Grannies at antiwar demonstrations. The current wave of inflatable costumes serves as a modern iteration of these age-old tactics, highlighting the power of humor in political discourse. By combining elements of fun with serious messages, activists are not only making their statements heard but also inviting a diverse array of voices into the conversation, proving that protest can be both impactful and enjoyable.
Demonstrators in frog costumes during the “No Kings” protest on Oct. 18, 2025, in Portland, Ore.
Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images
When the center of protests against immigration enforcement switched recently to Charlotte, North Carolina, so did the frogs.
Back in October 2025, an agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency popularly known as ICE, deployed pepper spray into the air vent of a peaceful protester’s inflatable frog costume.
Video of the incident
in Portland, Oregon, quickly went viral. Frogs and other inflatable costumes
became a fixture of protests
against Trump administration actions everywhere.
As a
sociologist
who studies social movements and political discourse, I knew when I saw the video that we’d soon see frogs everywhere at protests.
And indeed, the costumes have visually distinguished recent events from earlier anti-Trump demonstrations, softening their public image at a time when Republican officials were calling protesters “violent” and “
Antifa people
.”
It’s hard to be violent in a frog suit.
Humor is subversive. When used strategically, it can help undermine the legitimacy of even the most powerful opponents.
A ‘Trump baby’ inflatable was used in a protest on June 4, 2019, in London against the state visit of President Donald Trump.
Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images
Playful and potentially protective
Portland activist
Seth Todd
began protesting in an inflatable frog costume as a way of “looking ridiculous” when federal law enforcement ramped up repressive tactics against his fellow protesters at ICE facilities in October 2025.
“Nothing about this screams extremist and violent,” he told The Oregonian newspaper.
Such costumes are interactive, playful, physically unwieldy and potentially protective. They can help activists appear less threatening to police, evade
facial recognition systems
and even deflect the blows of police batons or rubber bullets.
Wearing inflatable costumes at demonstrations checks all the boxes for tactics that can be widely imitated: cultural relevance, symbolic power, accessibility and easy participation. My
interviews with activists
who used
glitter bombing
in past protests revealed that light-hearted tactics can expand participation by attracting newcomers who are wary of more confrontational forms of protest. This is especially true when the tactics are
easy to adopt
– notably, wearing inflatable costumes in the weeks leading up to Halloween.
“Protest costumes” are now a category on Amazon.
Unlike the seasoned activists who were early adopters, protesters who wore inflatable animal and character costumes – sometimes because frog costumes had sold out – at No Kings protests on Oct. 18 represented a range of experiences and affiliations, including
many first-timers
.
“We are middle of the road,” explained
one protesting frog
in Chicago, “we’re just regular folks who have had enough.”
Jordy Lybeck, Operation Inflation co-founder, organizes inflatable costumes for protesters near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Oct. 21, 2025, in Portland, Ore.
AP/Jenny Kane
Bears, unicorns, dinos and raccoons
Activists
continue to don frog costumes in solidarity. One group calling itself the
Portland Frog Brigade
says its goal is “artfully exercising our First Amendment right to free speech.”
Others created
Operation Inflation
to collect and distribute inflatable costumes to Portland protesters.
Just days after the pepper spray incident, a
video circulated
showing people outside the Portland ICE facility wearing inflatable bear, unicorn, dinosaur and raccoon costumes, dancing to raucous music in front of a line of law enforcement officers clad in riot gear.
Despite the almost literal novelty value of frog costumes, there’s nothing new about any of this.
Inflatables have long
played an important role
in outlandish protest tactics. A large inflatable “
Trump chicken
” was installed outside the White House back in 2017, while a “
Trump baby
” blimp hovered over Parliament in London during a 2018 state visit by Trump.
During the 1960s, the
Bread and Puppet Theater
used towering puppets and satirical street performances to protest the Vietnam War and social inequality.
Carnivalesque tactics
and
clown costumes
have been popular responses to police repression at anti-globalization protests.
The
Raging Grannies
were a mainstay at antiwar and antinuclear demonstrations in the early 2000s, easily recognizable with their colorful costumes and witty songs.
And LGBTQ+ rights advocates have
thrown pies
and
glitter-bombed
right-wing politicians, while also staging
costumed flash mobs
and
dance parties
outside the offices and homes of prominent public figures.
Absurdist performances and playful public displays are powerful tools of political dissent, especially when they stand in contrast to state violence, authoritarianism and human rights abuses.
Anya M. Galli Robertson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
