On the streets of major U.S. cities, protesters opposed to President Donald Trump appeared in inflatable costumes of frogs, chickens, and Tyrannosaurus rex. They were demonstrators participating in the "No Kings" rallies. They said they put forward a cheerful and nonviolent image to protest the erosion of democracy and abuse of power while weakening the Republican framing that paints the protests as violent.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 19th (local time), in Washington, D.C., a frog wearing a crown appeared alongside a unicorn, a chicken, and a lobster, and in Portland, protesters dressed as sharks marched across a bridge. In Boston, a lobster drew attention with a sign reading "No shellfish king." These colorful inflatable characters became symbols of rallies criticizing the Trump administration's anti-immigration policies and troop deployments.
Democratic strategist Mike Nellis said, "The ridiculousness is the point," adding it was "a way to satirize the situation where Trump supporters call cities 'lawless.'" In response to Republicans depicting the protests as "anti-American rallies," demonstrators are countering with humor and whimsy. New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker also shared videos of protesters in inflatable costumes and said, "It's funny but accurate."
The center of the inflatable costume protests is Portland, Oregon. After President Trump criticized it as a "war zone-like city," local activists deliberately staged outlandish performances in front of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. Local online broadcaster Brooks Brown formed a group called "Operation Inflation," purchased inflatable costumes with citizen donations, and distributed them. Brown said, "Inflatable costumes do not fit any narrative. No one sees them as violent," adding, "A mood where people laugh and dance creates solidarity instead of anger."
In just 10 days, more than 10,000 people joined the inflatable costume protests. Frog costumes first gained popularity, then spread to giraffes, sausages, and bananas. In Washington, one protester marched in a yellow banana outfit holding a sign that read "America is not a banana republic." The person said, "We wanted to show that we are peace-loving citizens, not violent terrorists."
There was intent behind the choice of character costumes like frogs or Tyrannosaurus rex. The frog is a character symbolizing Portland's counterculture movement and has frequently appeared as a satirical icon in past anti-Trump protests. Costumes such as Tyrannosaurus rex, chickens, and bananas were used to mock the "exaggerated power" of authority or to present themselves as "harmless and ridiculous." The protesters explained, "These costumes are the simplest way to convey political messages with humor instead of violence."
Experts say this method of inflatable protests is strategically effective. Democratic strategist Andy Barr analyzed, "Cheerful performances boost civic participation in a dark political climate." Republican strategist Terry Sullivan also assessed, "Inflatable costumes enhance the visual power of the protests while erasing violent imagery."
Stanford University political scientist Bruce Cain said, "It is a symbolic act that rebuts the narrative of the Trump administration describing cities as violent," adding, "As long as protesters respond with laughter, Trump will find it difficult to justify hard-line measures such as the Insurrection Act."