More frogs (and other creatures) join in the Portland ICE protests: “New characters have been unlocked”

The frogs protesting ICE in Portland are multiplying.

Earlier this month, videos of someone dressed in a frog costume joining the ICE protests in Portland, Oregon, began circulating. Once a particular clip showing a federal agent purposefully targeting the air intake valve on the frog costume went viral, it was a done deal—the Portland Frog had become a symbol of everything currently happening in the city.

Why are frogs showing up to protest in Portland?

The original Portland Frog continued to show up and protest even after the incident with the air intake valve, confirming that they were okay and even making light of the situation. But now, their existence appears to have encouraged others to show up in similar costumes to continue their quest to push back against President Donald Trump's narrative that Portland is a crime-ridden wasteland that needs federal intervention.

"The frog has become a symbol of what's going on down here," one of three costumed protestors told The Oregonian on October 9, before going on to slam "the insane government overreach that's going on in this place, and the fact that they are calling Portland an explosive fire-ridden, sort of, you know, war land, which it's not. Because we're here."

The overall idea seems to be that showing up to these protests in ridiculous costumes just grooving and having fun serves as a stark juxtaposition to the heavily armed federal agents standing off against—and sometimes enacting violence towards—inflatable cartoon characters. 

"Portland is leading the way. This is how you (non violently) beat Fascism," @TrueFactsStated wrote on X. "Humor and ridicule are key."

Other costumed protestors join in

Although the frog has become the predominant symbol of these protests, the concept has morphed into something greater and more inclusive. Video and images from this week feature a whole slew of costumed characters, including unicorns, sharks, dinosaurs, and more.

"This is truly amazing! New characters have been unlocked!!! This is exactly how we defeat them. We delegitimize their asinine fake footage. Over-the-top, immature, dancing defiance," said one X user.

"Hot take, but this is a wildly effective form of protest because there’s no way you can claim the unicorn suit person who is twerking is a violent revolutionary who needs to be pepper sprayed and not look insane," said another.

According to The Daily Show's Josh Johnson (and other previous reports from the ground), the only protests happening in the city are taking place in the direct vicinity of the ICE building—again, a far cry from the picture of mayhem and destruction Trump has tried to paint to justify deploying the National Guard into a city he simply doesn't like.

"I don't think the situation in Portland is a five-alarm, DEFCON 1, bust-out-the-windows type of emergency," Johnson said on Thursday. "So far, all I've seen is a guy in a chicken suit and an episode of Barney."

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