There are a lot of protests going on in Portland, Oregon, but one person in an inflatable frog costume has taken over social media. People have been talking about this person a lot since footage and images of him standing in front of police officers, frequently near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in South Portland, have gone viral.
The protester has said publicly that the outfit is a choice to show “humor” and dissent that doesn’t hurt anyone. “It’s a way to cut through the Trump administration’s stories that say we are very violent.” “No, we are protesting, but with humor,” the man inside the mask told Le Monde. The purpose is to prove that the administration’s claim that the protests in Portland were a “reign of terror” is false.
“Proud ANTIFA Terrorist” and the Strength of Satire
Even though the person in the frog costume is wearing funny clothes, new reports say that he is a “proud ANTIFA terrorist.” This label shows how the protests are part of a bigger political fight.
The idea of exploiting ridiculousness goes beyond the frog. There have been other inflatable animal costumes, such the Portland Chicken, which Jack Dickinson runs. Dickinson told media that this strange choice of apparel is really good at undermining the serious story that the federal government is trying to tell.
Dickinson said, “It’s a lot harder to take them seriously when they have to post a video saying Kristi Noem is up on the balcony looking over the Antifa Army and it’s, like, eight journalists and five protesters, and one of them is in a chicken suit.” This shows how satire makes the intended intimidation less effective.
Federal Deployment and the White House’s Position
The protests in Portland got worse right after President Donald Trump sent in the National Guard to “restore order” in the city.
The White House put out a strongly worded statement that called the protests an attack on the rule of law: “The Radical Left’s reign of terror in Portland ends now, with President Donald J. Trump mobilizing federal resources to stop Antifa-led hellfire in its tracks.” The administration said that the scenario “isn’t protest; it’s planned anarchy that has scarred the city for years, leaving officers hurt, citizens scared, and property damaged.”
In the middle of all the mayhem, there have been some really strange instances, including when ICE agents used a hand trolley to carry away a protester who wouldn’t follow orders. This made the protests even more strange and intense.